Walking Dead 1. Chapter 1

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl. **

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Rick watched in silence as Daryl unhooked a line of squirrels from his belt, the redneck handed them to the sheriff and then climbed off his bike. Rick could see by the way the man turned his back to him and paid attention to his bike that this particular trip had been difficult, he was completely rigid, even as he bent slightly at the waist to focus on something. Rick couldn't see what Daryl was so interested in and despite being curious, he stood firmly rooted on the spot, it was not wise to sneak up on a tense and frustrated Dixon. He just waited for the man to finish up very patiently, he felt a little unnerved by the dead animals he was carrying, but after seeing so many dead people Rick quickly got over the small furry creatures.

For a second Rick felt confused when he heard Daryl mumbling, Rick knew he was not talking to him and Daryl wasn't the kind of person who would talk to himself, he was even more confused when Daryl began unbuttoning his blue shirt to reveal his sleeveless green Tee. Rick smiled a little awkwardly when the other man glanced back over his shoulder, this time he directed his words to Rick. "Need yer help with these supplies." Daryl said quietly prompting the man to immediately step forward as he threw the wild squirrels over his shoulder the same way he'd seen Daryl do many times, when he reached the bike, Rick could not believe what he saw.

"Where'd you find them?" Rick asked in a hush tone crouching down lower to take a peek at what sat bundled in his shirt.

Daryl had his arm securely wrapped around the bundle and just stared for a moment or two, not knowing how to word his experience properly. "Merle..." His brother's name was the only explanation he could offer until he could process what had just happened.

Rick seemed to understand and shifted reaching his hand out to take hold, but Daryl stopped him, instead handing him a shopping basket full of formula and then handed him his crossbow. Something he would never usually do. Rick kept his eye on Daryl as he carried his occupied shirt up to the prison and in to the cell block.

"Carl!" Rick called as they bundled their way in, Rick first and then Daryl who looked down in to his shirt with obvious panic. "Take your sister from Carol. Beth, I need you to get some water. Hershel, Carol, on me." Rick barked as he rushed through the block, dumping the basket, the food and crossbow to make room in one of the cells. Some of Judith's stuff was filling the bed so he shoved every thing to the far end of the bed, not caring about some of it falling off and probably breaking. Daryl swept in behind him and carefully lay the shirt down on the mattress, as he pulled his hands away he saw them trembling violently and felt overcome with an emotion becoming far too familiar. Fear. He knelt to a crouch like Rick had outside and gripped the bed, never taking his eyes off his shirt until he heard the familiar sound of Hershel's crutches.

"Oh my God..." Carol whispered stepping in the cell staring at the bed, not the bed itself but more the two tiny children that lay wrapped up in Daryl's grimy shirt. She looked between Rick and Daryl, the latter had paled dramatically and couldn't take his eyes off the two little ones.

"Do somethin'." Daryl whispered one hand reaching to touch the tiny, delicate fingers poking out of his shirt. "They was awake when I got 'em, please, do somethin'." He begged, feeling completely useless. As his fingers grazed the soft baby-like skin he could feel his chest squeezing and his eyes began to sting with un-shed tears.

When Hershel arrived his face had been the same picture as Carol's, mouth wide in shock but it only lasted for a second or so as Rick grabbed a chair opposite the children, allowing the incapacitated man somewhere to sit. "I need some room." Hershel said directing it to Rick and then Daryl, the man who brought the children in met the eyes of their doctor and his fear instantly became fury.

"I ain't leavin' 'em!" He hissed furiously, he had found them, he had to make sure they were safe. Daryl was never going to leave their sides, these beautiful children. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder as he stared down helplessly at the nearest child, a little girl. She was barely two feet tall and was dangerously thin, her clothes were filthy and her chin length blonde hair looked matted and muddy. With just a little blood mixed in. Dirt and mud covered the little girl's skin like she'd been aimlessly wandering in the forest for weeks.

The other child. The little boy looked a bit better than his sister, his clothes were just as dirty and his hair dark brown hair also caked in mud like hers. But there didn't look to be any blood mixed in with it. The tiny boy was a little taller than the girl and didn't look as starved as his sister, he had also moved more than she had, he seemed closer to consciousness.

Carol's fingers squeezed Daryl's shoulder making him tear his eyes from the kids to the woman. "Let me see to your head while Hershel takes care of the children, there is nothing you can do for them now until they wake up. Just give Hershel the space he needs." She said gently, Carol had never seen Daryl react this way to anybody or anything before. He looked completely distraught at the thought of leaving the two children he found even if Carol was right, he was more of a hindrance than a help where he sat but these children needed him. He saw Beth rush in with a canteen of water and practically snatched it from her hands, unscrewing the cap and kneeling back down beside the bed. With his free hand he picked the fragile girl up to pour the water in to her mouth, while she was unconscious it was difficult to get her to take it without Hershel's help, the little boy on the other hand seemed to drink the water himself.

He was not awake as he drank but at the same time the boy was not unconscious, he was almost just sleeping after a hard day, Daryl shared the canteen of water between the children and just watched in fear and angst to see them open their eyes. Nothing happened making Hershel repeat his request and this time Carol pulled at Daryl's shoulder gently urging him to stand up, his eyes never left the children as he stumbled out of the cell and in to the next, where he could sit down.

For a while Carol just watched Daryl, he was in a state of panic she had never seen on any one before, much less him. His hands were trembling violently forcing him to tuck them under his arms to try to gain control and Daryl's breathing was loud and erratic, like he was hyperventilating. Carol had seen and heard enough of Daryl in this state and wanted nothing more than to get him back to normal, whatever had happened when he came across these children and messed his mind up badly.

Carol instructed the man to take a few deep breaths and concentrate on following a regular pattern, it took a little while for his mind to process what he needed to making him clutch his chest, Carol knelt in front of Daryl to meet his eyes, giving him the extra reassurance he needed to get through this. Eventually Daryl's shoulders slumped and despite a little uncharacteristic wheezing he seemed normal, he just sat on the edge of the bed without saying a word and let Carol tend to the wound on his head. "You'll probably feel a little unsteady and uncomfortable after that, but its nothing to worry about." She said gently as she lightly dabbed a wet cloth on the open cut, she told him that she couldn't stitch the wound and didn't really want to use a meter of gauze just for one tiny cut, so he'd have to clean it regularly every day to prevent infection. But Daryl was barely listening, he was in a completely different place. "Daryl?" Carol called grabbing his attention. "Where'd you find them?"

Daryl sighed and scrubbed his face. He felt so drained and miserable and numb. Besides momentary panic Daryl felt absolutely lifeless. "I-I... killed him." Daryl whispered almost shell-shocked. Carol just stared at the man waiting for him to tell her more, she wasn't phased by him admitting to murder any more not like she would have before. In this world murder was normal. "M-Merle. I killed him."

Carol gasped as she stared at the man, his own brother? Why would Daryl kill his own brother after spending so long looking for him? She knew Merle had been working with the Governor and she knew the Governor had pitted Daryl and Merle against each other in some sick game where they had to fight in a ring of Walkers, Daryl had told her that much since his miraculous escape but told her nothing else. He didn't tell her that Merle had escaped too, where had Merle been staying? What had he been doing? Where did the two children fit in to all this? "What happened Daryl?" Carol asked slowly sinking on to the bed beside him.

"When we escaped Woodbury I asked him t' come back here wit' me, but he kept sayin' no. Told me t' go back on my own, he'd live off the land nearby, says I can find him real easy and won't lose him again. Found his tent when I wer' out huntin', could hear the twins cryin', they wer' starving so I gave 'em the food ya made me. Jus' sat in the tent wit' 'em while they cried, didn't know what t' do, I heard Walkers comin' so I grabbed 'em both and ran..." Daryl trailed off a little, taking a deep breath so he could remember entirely what happened. "...Ran straight in ta him. Told me I couldn't take 'em, I told him it weren't safe fer 'em out there, I wer' gonna bring 'em here. He started fuckin' yellin' makin' 'em cry and shit, wouldn't stop. Kept sayin' they wer' his and I couldn't hav' 'em."

Carol nodded as he spoke. "Where did he find them?"

"When the Governor found 'im, they wer' already part'a his group." Daryl looked up from his trembling hands to the woman beside him, she felt undeniable confusion and he could completely understand why. Why would Merle join the Governor's group and then kidnap two innocent children after escaping the dictators reign? They were just two random children living in a town in the middle of nowhere. "...I-I couldn't let him keep 'em there... t-they're... mine." The man whispered staring straight in to the woman's eyes.

Carol's mouth fell open for the second time in fifteen minutes, she was speechless at first. She had no idea Daryl had children, he didn't seem like the type to have kids and he never once mentioned them, why wouldn't he mention that his two very young children were missing? "D-Daryl..." His name was the only thing she could force out of her mouth.

"Imogen-Rose and Archer-Bennett." He whispered staring blankly at the wall in front of him that separated the room next door, the room with his children, lying unconscious probably from shock. He couldn't do anything but just sit beside Carol in an uncomfortable silence, she was going get mad Daryl kept such a massive secret from her, but at that moment Daryl didn't want to think about it.

Carol tried to get more information from the man but he couldn't say anything, he was completely stunned by the arrival of his babies. Daryl's head shot up from in his hands when he heard his name being called by Hershel, but what actually drove him to get up was the sound of hysterical wailing. The crying child was screaming only one word. Daddy.

Daryl bolted from the cell Carol had directed him too back to the first, he found his footsteps faltering as he reached the door, lying in Maggie's arms was a tiny boy desperately clinging to the strap of her top. For a long while Daryl couldn't make himself walk in and take his child, his own flesh and blood from the young woman because he was scared, he was terrified if he touched him then little Archer would just evaporate in to thin air. But that was his baby right there. Daryl looked to the bed and felt his heart tug painfully at the sight of Imogen still just laying there, her chest moving up and down silently, she was completely undisturbed by her brother's cries. She looked terrible. Her skin was pasty white but covered in raised red lumps, they looked itchy and made Daryl's skin crawl, he had never seen anything like it before. The little girl's lips were slightly blue despite her red face and it made him want to scoop her in to his arms, he wanted to make the little girl feel better.

Carol gently pushed the man in front of her, making him stumble towards Maggie and his son. He thought they were dead. Maggie smiled softly at Daryl, she didn't seem shocked or disgusted by his fear, she seemed to understand why he was reluctant to take his baby. "A-Archer?" Daryl whispered, lifting his hand to stroke the little boy's head. The child automatically, like a moth to a flame, turned his head towards his father's voice. There was just a moment when Archer stopped crying to look at the man, trying to recognize someone he hadn't seen in such a long time, then the boy smiled. A smiled filled with genuine joy and happiness.

"Daddy!" The little boy yelled practically throwing himself from Maggie's arms to his father's despite Archer's exhaustion, the boy's arms wrapped around Daryl's neck and squeezed as tightly as he could, he didn't ever want to let go again. Daryl in return cradled the boy as he buried his face in the little one's shoulder, trying to hide tears of joy that filled his eyes from every one else in the room.

"Thought I lost ya boy, you 'n' yer sister." Daryl whispered, Archer snuggled in to Daryl and let his face press against his warm neck. "Never let ya go again. Never." Archer kept repeating the word Daddy in Daryl's neck as he held him, he didn't know what else to do other than cradle the boy, stroking his head. His back. Squeezing him tight to his body. Daryl cleared his throat with a cough and scrubbed his eyes with his hand trying to wipe away any evidence of his tears, he didn't want any of the group seeing him cry, the redneck then turned to the man with crutches as he wrapped Daryl's daughter up in blankets to keep her warm. "What's wrong wit' her?" He asked not knowing whether he wanted to hear the answer, he didn't take his eyes off his only daughter even when his son snuggled further in him and sighed contentedly.

Hershel looked back over his shoulder to the other man knowing the question on his mind. "She ain't scratched or bit, looks like she's in shock." He said honestly seeing Daryl's shoulders sag in silent relief. Archer twisted in Daryl's arms, gripping his father's bicep as he looked at his twin, it was like he knew she was sick.

"Immy?" He whispered in a sad voice, his lips turned downwards as he watched her sleep.

Daryl sighed and moved the boy closer to his sister, letting Archer sit on his leg as he crouched by the bed. Archer laid his head beside Imogen's hand and placed his own hand on her stomach as if he was trying to comfort her. "Immy's sick Arch, so she's sleepin' fer a while." Daryl whispered back in the little one's ear, Archer nodded and repeated the words sick and sleeping to show he understood. The redneck took his little girl's hand in his own and wished for her to get better, as if wishes were enough to bring her back to him.

Carol watched the family with a feeling of jealousy and sadness, Daryl had found both his children alive yet her daughter had died. Daryl might of had his children but one of them was very sick, sick with a condition they could not treat, either she fights it and wins or she fights it and dies. Those were the options. At least Carol didn't have to go through that, on top of Daryl's current feelings.

Whatever had happened at Woodbury had left Daryl pretty volatile, it was like they'd gone back in time to when they'd first met. He was angry and snappy, he preferred to be alone most of the time and didn't engage in much conversation. Carol would often see the man with his head in his hands when he had nothing else to do, he'd be lost deep in thought and would only snap back to reality when she called him out of his mind.

When she tried to talk to him he would reply with simple grunts or shrugs, it was like he'd lost all the social skills he developed over the year. Daryl had been pretty shaky when he got back, he had been covered in sweat, not because he was hot but because he felt sick to his stomach and was terrified. He refused to speak to anyone for a few days until he got his bearings together, for a little while he sat on his perch just staring at the wall, he'd only move if someone spoke to him.

Carol reached down to the man lightly resting her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Would you like me to bring in some water and rags, so you can clean them up?" She asked ignoring every one as they slowly drifted out of the cell leaving just the two adults and the two children. Daryl silently nodded unable to peel his eyes away from his daughter as she lay almost lifeless on the bed.

Archer was still lying next to his sister when Carol came back, Daryl wasn't sure where the bowl came from but she placed it down next to him, he didn't know what to do. Daryl didn't know how to do it. Archer sat up at the sound of the water bowl touching the floor and stared at Carol, the little boy smirked a bit and instantly made Carol think of Daryl, that tiny grin was so unbelievably Daryl it was almost surreal.

"He's just like you." Carol said watching Daryl mindlessly stare at his little girl, the man had lost his two children and now they were back, but it wasn't the same. His little girl was sick and could die, if the little girl died she would eventually reanimate and Daryl would have to watch his own daughter die twice. He couldn't bear the thought. "Do you want me to leave?" Carol asked after a few minutes of silence. She had to get Daryl functioning again before he went in to shock himself, so when he shook his head she jumped in to action reaching for Imogen's boots.

Without thinking Daryl grabbed Carol's wrist to stop her, she forced herself not to wince at the feeling as he stared. "What you doing?" He asked sharply almost as if he was accusing her of something awful. He was surprised the words even came out, his mouth was so dry and his thought were swimming around in his head, he could barely even control his own body. Daryl didn't mean to grab the woman and startle her, but for a moment he felt like he had to protect his daughter, she was in a bad place that left her vulnerable so he had to protect the child. Carol wasn't a danger to Imogen, she was not a danger to anyone but he couldn't stop the way his body reacted.

"She needs to be cleaned up Daryl, if you aren't going to do it, let me." Carol offered meeting his eyes to show she meant his daughter no harm, for a few tense moments Daryl clutched at her arm but let go when Archer threw his hand in to the water and splashed it up his face. Carol immediately began to work by removing the little girl's boots and her socks, she hated the idea of putting the girl back in her dirty clothes again but they had nothing else for her to wear just yet. "Glenn and Maggie have gone to find as many supplies for the children as they can, hopefully they'll find some clothes."

Daryl watched Carol take a rag and carefully begin wiping the little girls feet, they were caked in mud and dirt and had several open sores from constantly running away, they must have caused the little one agony. Carol let out a little gasp when the girls foot twitched, even though she was unconscious wiping the sores caused the child pain. It made Carol feel awful, especially when she began trying to clean up the more stubborn dirt patches making the girl twitch and flinch more, if that was causing Imogen this much pain than cleaning up Archer was going to be horrific. He was going to scream, pretty loud.

Carol very carefully dried the little girl's feet to stop the from getting cold and then worked on cleaning the rest of the child's body, the only part Carol left was Imogen's hair, that would have to wait until she woke up. Seeing the girl clean again let Carol realise how adorable this little one actually looked, she was pretty and probably had Daryl's eyes too just like Archer. "She looks like her Momma." Daryl whispered as if he knew what Carol was thinking. "Their Momma got inta drugs and shit, she'd drop 'em off 'fore goin' on a bender wit' Merle, hated when she came back. She'd take 'em home 'n' not lemme see 'em fer a coupl'a weeks. Didn't plan on havin' babies, she was jus' a one off."

The woman nodded gently and dropped the rag back in the bowl so she could wrap Imogen back up in her blankets, she glanced down at Archer who had repositioned himself in Daryl's arms, his face pressed in to Daryl's chest as he battled to stay awake. Archer's hands held fistfuls of Daryl's shirt and they both knew there was no way they'd get the boy to let go again. "Why don't you take him down to the showers?" Carol suggested looking down at Daryl in pity, she couldn't help it, he looked so lost and frightened.

"I ain't leavin' her." He replied in less than a few seconds. Without a second thought Carol knelt beside Daryl on the floor and placed her hand on the back of his head, making him look at her. "I can't." She watched the man's eyes fill with tears again, every body had seen Daryl cry once. Back in the quarry when he found out Merle was missing, but those were tears of anger and hurt. These were tears of joy, pain, fear, confusion. Any and every emotion possible and it was overwhelming his system, Daryl didn't know how to deal with so many emotions mixed in to one. "I can't." He whispered as a tear escaped and rolled down his face, he was about to angrily wipe it away when Carol caught his wrist holding it in her hand as the tear slipped under his chin.

He didn't even try to pull away from her as she manipulated her hand in his, holding it loosely in her lap. "Don't bottle it up, it'll make you sick. There's nobody else here so if you need to let go, you let go, I won't think any less of you." For a long while the pair sat in silence, Carol watched as Daryl soundlessly let the tears slip down his face, he was completely numb to everything. Even though seeing such a rock solid man cry made Carol's heart ache and her mind scream to make it better Carol didn't budge, Daryl needed to come to terms with everything that was going on around him.

He'd been held captive at Woodbury and forced to fight his brother in a pit of Walkers, after a daring escape a few weeks later he was then forced to murder his brother to rescue his children, the two children he assumed were dead and gone. They were right in front of him yet one of them, his baby girl was sick and looked close to death, he couldn't cope with that.

Daryl just kept staring at his little girl, willing her to wake up and smile at him but Imogen just lay there on the mattress completely lifeless. He was so happy to have them back in his arms, but he felt guilty for not trying to look for them, he felt awful for not taking them into his care when their mother left them on his doorstep.

When Daryl finally decided enough was enough he wiped his eyes dry and took a deep breath, looking down at Archer who slept peacefully in his arms. "Jus' let him sleep fer a while, take him fer a shower later." Carol nodded as Daryl avoided looking at her, he pulled his hand out of hers again and scrubbed his face. "Will ya stay wit' 'em fer a bit, wanna go take a walk." The man said quickly standing up and placing Archer beside his twin sister on the bunk, he hovered over the pair for a few seconds before kissing them both on the head and practically running out of the cell to find open air, he didn't even give Carol chance to reply, he just left and didn't come back for hours.


	2. Chapter 2

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_dj475: Imogen is pronounced either 'em-O-gen' or 'i-Mo-gen' however you prefer. In Britain we tend to use 'i-Mo-gen' and in America it tends to be 'em-O-gen.'_

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Archer had cried for nearly a full hour when Daryl finally returned. Nobody knew where he went or what he was doing but Daryl had been gone for a few hours and it had them worried for a while, the man had been through way too much in the space of a few weeks, they had no clue what kind of mental state he was in.

Carol had tried her hardest to calm the little boy but he wasn't having any of it, she tried feeding him and giving him water but he continued to cry and scream forcing most people out of the cell block. Being unable to satisfy the child had been heart breaking for her, Archer had been separated from his father for far too long and wanted nothing more than lie in his arms, only nobody could find the last Dixon brother. Carol looked up from her spot on the stairs and sighed in relief as Daryl appeared at the door, fumbling to unlock it and get to his hysterical son. The man immediately rushed to the boy and scooped him out of Carol's arms. "What happened?" He practically growled as if preparing himself, he expected Carol to tell him something awful.

"Nothing happened Daryl, he just got upset." She replied watching the man hold the flailing boy to his chest.

Daryl nodded in reply and looked down at the boy in his arms, there were tears pouring down his face and Archer's cheeks were flame red from the sheer force of his crying. "Hey, hey calm down now boy. I got'cha, ain't goin' away again. Ain't never gon' leave ya again." Daryl whispered rocking the little one back and forth in his arms to try to soothe his emotional pain, he kept stroking the boy with his filthy hands trying to calm him as he whispered and murmured in his ear but the boy just wouldn't stop sobbing.

"Daddy. Daddy. Daddy." Every time Archer screamed those words it made Daryl's heart pang, how could he have left him? He should have stayed in the prison and waited for Archer to wake up again, his son was in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people of course he was going to react badly, but Daryl just had to get away. He'd been so embarrassed because he cried in front of Carol that he ran as fast as he could to an empty cell block and spent hours just sitting there, thinking. He should have stayed put instead of abandoning them.

Daryl spied the canteen of water on the step and automatically reached for it, letting Carol unscrew the lid so he could bring the water to the boy's mouth. "Here, have some water, make ya feel better." The redneck whispered dribbling a little in Archer's mouth so he wouldn't choke, as soon as Archer tasted the water he opened his eyes and let his sobs die down to mere sniffling, he reached out one hand to tightly clutch at Daryl's hair for comfort. Daryl slowly sat on the stairs with his son as he let him drink from the canteen, he didn't flinch when Archer pulled his hair as he moved about, the boy's tight little fist was almost punishing his father for being gone too long. Archer nuzzled in to his father's chest when he was done with the water but was still mumbling and making childish sounds to express his upset. "You hungry buddy?"

The little boy nodded and peered up at his father, Daryl could see tiredness riddled all over Archer's face but he had to eat. He'd have to find soup or something similar to spoon feed Imogen soon too, it might help with her shock, or whatever was wrong with her. Carol grabbed the bowl beside her and handed it to Daryl watching him frown in confusion. "We didn't know what he'd eat, figured you're his father so he'd be used to squirrel by now."

Daryl looked down at the meat in the bowl and knew it probably wasn't the best thing to give a two-year old, but Archer was starving, so it would have to do. Daryl placed the bowl on Archer's legs so he could feed himself eagerly, the food did not last long when Archer finally dug in showing no disapproval with his meal. The woman sat beside them watched with a little smile on her face as the tiny boy grasped a piece of meat with three fingers and offered it to his father, Daryl considered for a moment before grabbing the little piece with his teeth, making the boy giggle in excitement. Daryl grinned at the sound and gently kissed the top of his head, rewarding the boy for his happiness as he chewed.

Archer stared down at his food for a few seconds and then met his father's eyes, holding the bowl in his hands. "Imogen, hungry?" He said showing concern for his sister's welfare. Daryl sighed a little and watched the boy as he shuffled out of his father's grip running with his supper to the cell his sister lay in, Daryl and Carol both followed the toddler and found him stood beside his sister patting her arm gently to wake her.

"Honey, Imogen's already had supper, I gave her some soup." Carol said taking Daryl by surprise, when he asked Carol to stay with them he didn't expect her to become like a mother, he just wanted someone to watch over the twins while they slept. He would have to remember to thank Carol at some point, but right then his mind was so jumbled up he couldn't form the words of appreciation. Archer looked up at the strange woman with wide eyes, like he was trying to recognise her from somewhere, but he just couldn't. Daryl was just staring at his daughter again trying to take in how unwell she was. Someone had placed some rolled up clothes under her feet to keep them elevated, that was supposed to help with the blood flow but all Daryl could think about was the colour of her skin.

He felt his chest aching every time he looked at the tiny, fragile child lying on the bed, he should found the twins after the outbreak. Daryl should have insisted on going to their house, but Merle refused to let him, listening to his brother had been a mistake. Daryl should have resolved his internal debate by knocking their mother's door down instead of running away but he didn't and now she was sick, it was his fault.

As if Carol knew what he was thinking, she placed a gentle hand on his back to distract him from his thoughts. It took every ounce of strength not to rip himself from the contact but he managed it. Daryl looked down at his son as he examined Carol, unable to place her face Archer cowered into his father's legs to escape her eyes.

Carol could have giggled if it wasn't for the sombre look on the man's face, like any parent, he was taking his daughters sickness hard. Without another word Daryl hoisted his son up on his hip and walked away, Carol watched in confusion as he headed out to the door, taking a moment to unlock the cell block door before disappearing out of sight.

He didn't stop when he reached Maggie and Glenn with supplies for his children, Daryl just kept heading for the shower block, his arm wrapped tightly around Archer and his free hand clutching his knife in case he needed it.

There were no words to explain exactly how devastated Daryl was, Daddy's little girl was sick. The man who could fix everything... couldn't fix his daughters condition. Maggie and Glenn slowly made their way in to an empty cell and placed everything they found down before heading to look in on Imogen.

They glanced between the little girl and the woman beside her, the look on Carol's face told them everything they needed to know. Imogen's condition hadn't improved in the last few hours and her father was beginning to lose his mind with worry, they had absolutely no concern for Archer's safety when Daryl snatched him up and wandered off, but Carol had her concerns for Daryl.

Daryl was scared for his baby, that was an emotion Daryl had a lot of difficulty with, more so than any others. "Did you manage to find any new clothes?" Carol asked as she stood up from her spot beside Imogen's head, trying to ignore the thought of Sophia lying in the same spot as Imogen, at least now her Sophia was safe.

"We got loads, hopefully its all in decent condition, we just grabbed everything and ran. A few more Walkers than last time." Glenn said before offering to watch the little girl for a while so Maggie could show Carol their loot.

Carol couldn't fight the grin when she looked at everything. Toys and books and clothes galore, some of them looked like they needed a good wash but other than that it was pretty good.

Without so much as a second thought both woman began sorting the items for the twins, they picked up clothes from the pile and compared them. Cooing over the cute tops and the adorable pairs of shoes, almost like this was normal. Maggie and Carol had to show little regard for the fact this used to belong to children who probably weren't around any more, if they thought about it too much they would lose their minds.

Maggie quietly picked through the clothes for Archer, she had so many questions but nobody to answer them. Maggie wanted to know why Daryl never mentioned having his own children, did he search so hard for Sophia because he felt bad for not finding his children? Carol didn't know the answer to these questions or any others just yet, but her close personal bond with Daryl was bound to fix that, maybe the pair would answer everybody's questions once he'd finally taken the children's arrival in.

Carol glanced at Maggie as if she knew there was something the younger woman wanted to say. "How's he copin'?" Maggie asked trying to keep herself occupied so not to pay too much attention to Daryl's situation, she wasn't trying to gossip about the redneck, she just wanted to get the information and piece together her own confusion. What were they supposed to think? He never once mentioned having his own children, he never so much as hinted but all of a sudden here they were. If it wasn't for Archer's cerulean blue eyes, Maggie might not have believed they were even Daryl's children.

After a deep breath Carol picked up everything she had sorted for Imogen and everything Maggie had sorted for Archer, she knew it was not her place to discuss Daryl's feelings or situation, it wasn't like she really knew how he was feeling either. Beyond what she could see in his crystal blue eyes and his body language, she had no idea, she just knew that for Daryl to cry he must have been suffering some pretty heavy emotional turmoil.

"Coping as well as you can expect with his two kids appearing from nowhere, one of which is really sick. That little girl is barely hanging on and he doesn't know what to do." Carol replied avoiding the eyes of both Glenn and Maggie as they made their way in to Imogen's cell, she did not want to imagine the little girl dying because she knew Daryl would die inside too. Everything he'd been through in his life would have nothing in comparison to his baby girl dying, the effect on him and Archer would be detrimental. Carol swallowed hard and wiped the tears that built up in her eyes, it was a nasty feeling she could not cope with. Before anybody touched the little girl Carol held her hand out, stilling Maggie's hand as she reached to remove Imogen's leggings. "Did you move her Glenn?"

Carol's blue eyes were instantly met by the dark Korean eyes, he was frowning in confusion which almost answered the woman's question, Imogen's hand had moved just a few inches from where Carol had placed it. The girl's hand was once resting flush to her side, but it had moved. She had to tell Daryl as soon as he got back, tell him his little one had moved, maybe she was a little closer to waking than before. Carol silently examined the little girl's skin and sure enough, her blue lips were beginning to turn a light shade of pink again, could she be waking up? The woman tried to quell the sense of hope and excitement building in her through fear it could be false, but she just couldn't help herself, it would be horrific to tell Daryl little Imogen was close to consciousness just as she began to slip away again. She would be considered a liar and Carol would lose his trust and his friendship forever.

Maggie and Carol both worked together to start re-dressing the little girl, leaving Glenn stood outside with his back to the cell, obviously racking his brain to find out whether he'd done anything to make the little girl's body move unnaturally. Had his weight on her bed made Imogen's arm move? If he told them maybe it was his fault, would the women get mad? Glenn tried to ignore all the questions in his mind and turned his attention back to the three girls in the cell, Imogen was now dressed in a clean set of clothes and surprisingly that alone was enough to make the little girl look just a bit healthier, it was wondrous what a pink t-shirt and some red jeans could do.

Knowing Daryl he would probably object to the bright colours his daughter was wearing, but Glenn and Maggie had to grab whatever they could without taking too long. Daryl was a reasonable man and was bound to understand that. "Maggie will you stay with her for a while, I want to take these down to Daryl and Archer. Save him having to stick the boy in those dirty clothes again."

Maggie smiled and nodded as she made herself comfortable in the cell, just as Carol was about to turn away the younger woman let out a little giggle. "Just tryin' to take a peek at Daryl naked in the shower, aren't you?"

Suddenly Carol was overcome with heat and the blood rushed to her cheeks, she didn't even think Daryl may also be taking a shower, she quickly turned away without a reply and darted off to the edge of the cell block. As she was leaving she made sure to let Rick know exactly where she was going, he was a little reluctant to let the woman go alone and that irritated her slightly. Carol had really come into her own after a little gun training, she wasn't a perfect shot but Carol could protect herself, she didn't need the group to treat her like a burden.

As Carol made her way towards the shower block, she was surprised to hear the sound of laughter. Most of the laughter was high-pitched and squealing, but sometimes there was a low little chuckle that interjected. Carol stopped just beyond the door and allowed herself to listen, the man's chuckle was enough to send flutters through her heart, it was a beautiful sound. Hearing him try to be happy for his son was wonderful but at the same time... heart breaking. Archer probably wouldn't notice how upset his father was over Imogen's sickness, but she could hear it in his low and slightly sluggish tone.

The little boy giggled in response to his father's laughter and practically shrieked in excitement. "Cold daddy!" He yelled making Daryl chuckle again, it wasn't a whole-hearted laugh, more like slightly forced. "Water cold Daddy."

"I know, sorry buddy, we ain't got 'ny hot water." Daryl replied just as Carol knocked at the door so she didn't catch either of them unawares. "What?" Daryl barked from inside the shower block, she could hear him bustling around and waited for the door to swing open, when Daryl arrived she struggled to catch her breath.

He stood in the doorway completely shirtless with his cargoes clinging tightly to his hips. Carol couldn't stop her eyes from travelling up and down Daryl's naked torso, watching water droplets trickle down his muscles and slip under his waistband, his tightly toned body glistening from the water. Daryl's hair was drenched as it stuck up in odd directions, he must have run his fingers through his hair an awful lot, more droplets dribbling down his face and his skin. The man's body was littered in little scars she could tell were caused by several different confrontations, none of the scars looked self-inflicted and several looked very similar, like somebody had attacked him with the same weapon a few times. Carol didn't dare mention Daryl's body issues because she knew he'd get mad, he wasn't entirely comfortable with being shirtless in front of the group, he was shirtless now because he didn't have time to get dressed.

Her heart was practically in her mouth as Carol's eyes tried to take the sight in, her pulse raising as a reaction. Even with these scars he looked incredible, various tattoos stood out against his skin catching her attention. Carol didn't usually find any kind of tattoo attractive, but these suited Daryl just fine, maybe one day she'd be able to ask what they all meant.

Carol held out the little pile of clothing to the man, she didn't chide him on his irritated tone because she knew how stressed he was, combined with the fact he was trying to have some time alone to rebuild his bond with Archer. Carol saw Daryl's face change as he realised she was just trying to be kind and carefully took the clothing, tucking them under his arm and casting a look back to his son who was sat wrapped up in a towel on a bench. After his little burst of energy, Archer was beginning to flag again, his eyes looked incredibly heavy as he swayed on the bench and started awake again glancing around for his father. "He looks exhausted." Carol said almost to herself.

"Keeps sayin' he ain't tired, but I know he's lyin'." Daryl said quietly raising his hand to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment "You mind helpin' with this... ain't had a lotta practice. Don't wanna hurt 'im." It wasn't like to Daryl to ever ask for help, so when his brilliant blue eyes flicked up to meet hers, she knew how desperate he was for her help and wordless gave in. She smiled when Archer lolled into Daryl's arms, leaving his head resting against his father as somebody he didn't know worked on dressing him. Carol could practically feel Daryl watching her in silence as she worked like he was taking notes and it made her feel a little flush, his lack of emotional understanding meant everything he did was either intense or extreme, he was either hot or cold but never in the middle.

They were either best friends and spend hours in each other's company or he was unreasonably angry and refused to talk. Daryl watched Carol tend to his son, when anyone else got close he felt an awful possessive streak and wanted to snatch his children away, but not with Carol. Carol never once made him worry about his children's safety, even though she was with him and not Imogen he knew she'd passed her job of watching her, on to someone she trusted herself. Daryl was okay with that, he had to trust her decisions. "Where's he gonna sleep?" Carol asked suddenly looking up at Daryl. "I mean, there isn't a lot of room on the perch as it is and you won't sleep in a cell, what'll-"

"-Don't concern ya, I'll work it out." He said in a slightly harsh tone, Carol raised her eyebrows as he spoke and stood up, she couldn't help but feel a little hurt by his tone. Daryl had not spoken to her in that way since back on Hershel's farm, when he practically screamed at her over Sophia's death, ever since that moment he had made sure to never speak to her in that tone again.

Carol gently rubbed her bare arms as she watched the exhausted little boy snuggle in his father's arms for comfort. Daryl seemed to realise his mistake and shuffled a little uncomfortably, scooping his baby up in his arms to cradle him gently.

"He's a good kid, always used t' get rowdy when his Momma took him home though..." Daryl said softly, stroking Archer's face, by telling her that little story it showed he wanted to let her in. It was almost an apology for snapping without actually apologising.

"How old are they Daryl?" Carol asked grabbing the man's shirt from the bench and handing it to him in place of the little one, Daryl willing let the woman take his child with no qualms, he trusted her with the life of his children which was the highest honour ever bestowed on her. To completely gain a Dixon's trust. "You said you didn't see them for weeks sometimes, at least two right?" Carol said stopping when Archer whimpered but settled again.

Without missing a beat Daryl replied. "Two years 'n' 263 days. Been countin' since I lost 'em." He whispered pulling himself into his shirt and watching as Carol slowly paced around the room staring down at the tiny brunette in her arms. "Missed 'em like crazy..." There was a slight pause where Daryl flicked his gaze from Carol to his feet as he spoke again. "Kept thinkin' of 'em when I-I was lookin' fer... yer Sophia."

Carol's steps immediately faltered when the man spoke, nobody had mentioned her daughter in such a long time. The last time anybody mentioned Sophia was back on the farm but the pain that washed over at every word was still excruciating, it made her heart squeeze and her head pulsated with agony. Little Archer suddenly flinched awake as if he felt the bad vibes and for a few seconds he just stared at her face, then he began screaming, almost like she was physically hurting him. Daryl darted up from his seat only half way through buttoning his shirt and rushed to the woman and his baby, his entire body rigid as a reaction to the boys hysterics, Daryl snatched the little one up in his arms and dragged him close whispering soft words of comfort.

Daryl watched Carol from the corner of his eye and saw the way she shifted and crossed her arms over her chest, Carol was watching him in return, like she was scrutinising his actions. It made him feel unbearably uncomfortable, he wanted to stalk towards her and tell her exactly how he felt, how angry her constant staring was making him. But he had to focus on his son, his blood needed someone to take care of him and that was his job.

"Hold him against your body, he looks like he wants to hide away in your chest, your neck... anywhere. Sophia used to do it when she was scared, I used to wrap my arms around her and hold her so tight when she was afraid." Carol said collecting up all the filthy clothes Archer had worn, by becoming slightly distracted it meant all her attention was not focused on Daryl, that way the man could relax a little and look after his son. "I'll take these to the laundry, clean them up for you. Maggie and Glenn found plenty more stuff for the twins I think they'll like."

"Fine." Daryl mumbled back. Carol knew that was the end of all conversation for today, Daryl had done what she said and now wanted to be alone again, alone with his baby so he could watch over him. He would go and visit Imogen at some point before the day ended, the man just needed time to process exactly what was going on, he needed a little time to realise he wasn't the only Dixon left in this world and that his life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

As Carol headed out she heard Archer speak up again, he was asking for his sister. The silence that followed on Daryl's part told Carol he'd already given up on his daughter.

She would have to change that.


	3. Chapter 3

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_JackAndHoney: I know redneck is one word, its just because I'm using my new iPod to write until my computer is fixed and the iPod insists on changing the word. Thanks for the tip though, when my system is back up and running I'll edit those bits just for you! :) And I'm British, I'm the English equivalent to a redneck except less badass. Haha._

* * *

Everybody had been minding their own business when the scuffle broke out. Rick was running through his latest plan with Glenn, telling him exactly where he'd seen a little town on the last run and how it looked completely abandoned. No people. No walkers. No trouble.

Tyreese and most of his people were out on watch, Rick had grown to trust the other group's leader and wasn't as openly cautious like the others, maybe he was becoming to comfortable. Treating the prison like another impenetrable fortress, nobody dared say anything though, he lost his mind the moment Lori died and they didn't want to burden him anymore.

Maggie was sleeping after spending most of the night on watch, Beth had taken little Judith in to her father who was showing her how to take care of the baby. Carl was hovering in the doorway so he could keep an eye on his sister and the young woman who'd sparked his interests, the young boy had really grown up since the world ended, taken on the role of a grown man in just a few months.

Carol was just on her way back from the laundry room, she had washed all the children's new clothes and the old dirty ones they'd been wearing, some of the items needed a bit of repairing. It wasn't like Carol had anywhere else to be so she would set to work right after a spot of lunch. As she pushed open the door to the cell block she saw Daryl stood on the perch with his son clutched in his arms sleeping, they had both been resting when Carol left the cell block, little Archer had been snoozing on his father's chest with his father's arms wrapped tightly around the boy.

Daryl met her eyes for barely a millisecond and gave a curt nod before going back to his original plan, placing his son down on his bed, resting his head on the rolled up poncho and tucked the sheets in around the child. For a moment Daryl hesitated as if he did not want to leave his child but he had to tend to his daughter's needs too, so he quickly turned away and headed for the stairs, meeting him just in front of the cell his daughter was resting. Carol held the clothing out expecting the man to take them but instead he just stared at her, something was bothering him and she didn't know what. Just as Daryl opened his mouth to speak, he slammed his jaw shut and pivoted on his heel, stalking straight in to Imogen's cell.

Carol stood where she was for a few seconds almost stunned by the man's frosty behaviour, but that had nothing on what happened next. Carol watched as somebody flew out of the cell door and crashed to the floor, lying on their back looking up at the ceiling, after a moment of just laying there the person sat up and looked at her. Axel. What the hell was he doing in Imogen's cell? How did he even get in the cell block without someone noticing? Suddenly Carol felt sick to her stomach, maybe he had a completely innocent explanation as to why he was there, but it didn't look that way. The man was a creepy and slimy convicted felon, he had already tried to get cute with her and Beth before this but they turned him away. What if he was trying to... She couldn't bear the thought of anybody hurting the innocent little girl.

Axel immediately jumped to his feet and scrambled back against the wall, the look of fear in his eyes made Carol follow his gaze back to the cell. Daryl looked ready to commit murder. There was a storm brewing and it was seconds from exploding, his hands were balled in tight fists and his entire body stood bolt straight like it was made of stone.

He was so incredibly angry at what he'd just seen. "What t' fuck ya doin'?" He seethed launching himself forward and pinning the smaller man to the wall by his throat, Daryl's forearm pressed firmly against the man's neck as he ripped his knife from his belt and pressed it to the underside of his chin. "The fuck were you tryin' t' do t' my daughter, you sick fuck!"

Instantly everyone's attention was caught by the yelling, Rick and Glenn both darted from where they were to Carol's side. "I-I'm sorry brother, I weren't tryin' nothin'-" The man began to ramble, cutting himself off when the sharp blade cut at his skin.

"I ain't yer fuckin' brother!" Daryl spat leaning in to the man's face, Axel's eye widening in fear. Carol had never seen Daryl so incredibly furious, even when he blamed her for Sophia's death it hadn't been that raw. "That's my fuckin' daughter, why you anywhere near my kid?"

Daryl whirled around when Rick approached trying to calm him and defuse the situation, his blade shifted from Axel's chin and ended up pointed in Rick's face as his other hand grabbed the blonde's jaw, shoving his head back so hard it slammed against the wall shocking the man in to silence. Daryl glared at Rick making him raise his hands in surrender to show he meant no harm, he just needed to know what was going on. "Hey man make him stop, I weren't-"

Without a moment's hesitation Daryl slammed the convicts head against the wall again, snarling in his face to keep him quite. If there was one thing Merle taught him that he actually believed in was that he had to protect his kin, somebody had threatened his little girl, they endangered his baby. The baby that was too sick and vulnerable to protect herself, he didn't know what stunt Axel was trying to pull or if he'd even actually tried anything, but Daryl knew the man was pretty terrible. He kept trying it on with Carol and Beth but now, now he was getting his kicks from... tiny, sick toddlers. "-Shut the fuck up. You keep openin' yer fuckin' mouth 'n' I'll stick my knife in yer fuckin' eye!"

"Daddy!" Somebody suddenly screamed, Daryl's eyes moved to his son as he stood at the top of the stairs of the perch, Carol could see the tears streaming down Archer's face as he sobbed for his father. Daryl was torn, his heart told him to rush to his son and comfort him but if he left Axel would get away, his children would be in danger. Carol glanced between the furious man and his hysterical son before moving to the top of the stairs and scooping the little boy up, Archer's screaming became more intense and he bucked in Carol's arms, trying to throw himself away from her to get to his father. "Daddy. Daddy. Want daddy!" Archer cried between tears, flailing his arms around to get away from the woman.

The only movement Daryl made was taking his hunting knife from Rick's face to point it back at the criminal, his scowl showing Daryl's fury and aggression. When he woke up that morning he never expected all of this to happen.

Daryl never expected his two tiny twins to just arrive practically on his doorstep, one was incredibly sick and the other was incredibly distressed, Archer was emotionally disturbed by this new world and from being separated from his father. Daryl was overjoyed by having his children back but it was so overwhelming and surreal that he couldn't quite cope, he was not really sure how to take care of his children alone. When they were babies and their mother dumped them she always left everything he would need, but they'd been apart for so long Daryl had almost fallen out of practice.

And now there was some dirty little convict sneaking around in his daughter's cell. When Daryl had walked in to the cell Axel was sat on Imogen's bed beside her, he was touching her fingers as she lay unconscious in her bed, instantly that fire in Daryl's heart lit up. His stomach churned and he could have thrown up on the spot if Axel hadn't turned around, Daryl's head was swimming with all the disgusting possibilities of what the man could have or was going to do to his daughter, so Daryl just grabbed the other man and threw him as hard as he could out of the cell to create some distance between the man and his baby girl.

Daryl wanted to hold his little girl at that moment and cry, but he couldn't allow it. He had to deal with this situation, show this disgusting little shit that preying on kids wasn't going to sit well with anybody, especially not him. Especially not when it was his children. Daryl didn't care if the man was lying or telling the truth when he pleaded innocence, he just wanted to destroy the man, feed him to the walkers even.

His hands were shaking as he stared at Axel holding his knife tight, something was stopping him from sticking it right in his throat and moving on, some part of Daryl told him it was wrong despite what he thought he saw. Back in the quarry Daryl never hesitated when he ripped his knife out with the intention of using it against Rick, he had turned his crossbow on T-Dog and only stopped because of the gun pointed to his head and in the CDC, he didn't even stop to think when he turned that fire axe on Jenner. But now, when it mattered most something prevented him and it made him sick to his stomach, he couldn't kill Axel. Why did he have to develop morals now? He couldn't kill this man because people would be disappointed in him, but people were always disappointed even when he was a child, so why did it matter now?

"You listen to me 'n' you listen good you li'le shit. I ever see ya near my kids or any the girls 'round here, walkers gon' be the least of your problems!" Daryl growled using the tip of his knife to purposely nick the other man's skin before launching him halfway across the block towards the door. "Go on, get outta here!" He yelled grabbing a nearby canteen of water and launching it at him, showing no concern for the others around him, he was just so furious Daryl couldn't care about anything else.

Daryl span around and found everyone looking at him like he was insane, but they'd all heard what he said, they must have known what happened. He was about to snap again when Rick dismissed everyone, making them go back to their cells or to whatever they were supposed to be doing so he could talk to the furious red neck, try to calm him so he could tend to his still distraught child. "You wanna tell me what happened?" Rick asked coolly, keeping a close eye on Daryl's slightly bloody knife. He trusted Daryl and he hadn't tried anything violent with him in a long time but by the way he was shifting from foot-to-foot in agitation, Rick couldn't be entirely sure what Daryl was going to attempt.

"He was in there with Imogen, fuckin' touchin' her hands 'n' shit, the hell does he think he is?" Daryl grated, forcing his knife back through his belt and grabbing the bandanna hanging out his back pocket to wipe his sweaty palms. He looked Rick dead in the eyes when the man sighed and rubbed his forehead, relinquishing his hold on his pistol. He must have grabbed it subconsciously during the little spat.

Rick dropped his hand from his face and met Daryl's eyes, feeling his frustration and anxiety roll off in waves. "Did you see him do... anything... you know to... hurt her?" He tried to be gentle with the question because Daryl was in a fragile state, it was pretty obvious to him Daryl had a difficult childhood and was trying to stop his children from going through the same thing, so this little incident had riled him up and put him out on edge. How was anybody supposed to respond to such a thing? If Axel attempted exactly what Daryl believed he was going to then he was surprised Daryl let him walk away, he sure as hell knew if Axel had been anywhere near Carl or Judith, he would have been walker bait.

"Don't matter what I saw. Shouldn't be anywhere near my daughter!"

Rick nodded quickly in agreement to save Daryl getting any more upset, the scruffy redneck of the group didn't need any more trouble. He had suffered way too much recently and piling on more pressure was bound to make him pull away, the group wouldn't be able to survive if Daryl withdraw himself again, he was a massive part of this family now. As if only just registering in his mind Daryl looked up the stairs to his son, the sounds of his screams ripping through Daryl's body quickly became torturous, making Daryl run from his spot to Carol who was trying her hardest to keep hold of the boy.

Daryl silently plucked his son out of Carol's arms while avoiding her eyes, if he looked at her, he just knew his heart would give out and he'd probably start crying again. There was no way he was going to cry in front of her like that again. Daryl pulled Archer close to him, showering the little boy in affection like Carol had never seen before. He was kissing his son's head and face to try to soothe him, running his fingers through Archer's fine brown hair and whispering uncharacteristically soft words to the little one.

Without being asked Carol picked up the clothes from where she'd dropped them and walked away, this was a moment between Daryl and his son that nobody should see, it was a moment of healing they both needed so instead she carried the clothes back to Imogen's cell. When she stepped in Carol could see exactly what had scared and angered Daryl so much, there was a small divot where Axel had sat on the bed and one of Imogen's arms had been pulled out from under the sheet, other than that there didn't look to be any signs of foul play but Carol completely understood why Daryl reacted the way he did. If that had been Sophia laying there, Carol would have flipped out just the same, something about Axel made her skin crawl.

Carol could still hear Archer crying a few minutes later when she had rolled Imogen on her side for a little while, she had washed the little one every day with a rag and water, while also trying to make sure her sores and wounds were clean too. The crying had begun to get louder letting Carol know Daryl and his son were coming closer, so Carol carefully lay the little girl on her back again and smoothed down her hair and her clothes, trying to make the girl look settled and as undisturbed as possible. Hershel said rest was important for her, it was also important not to keep forcing water down the little girl through fear she may choke. Hershel was going to send someone to the infirmary at some point today to find IV fluid, he hoped it would speed up Imogen's recovery.

Daryl cleared his throat loudly when he got to the cell door, letting Carol know he had arrived, but she already knew that because Archer was still crying despite being draped over his father in exhaustion. Daryl's teeth were grit showing he was still pretty irate and Archer's constant sobbing probably wasn't helping, since the moment the little boy woke up he had cried an awful lot and it was always when he wasn't the main focus of his father's attention. If Daryl was elsewhere Archer would scream and cry until he got back, if Daryl needed the bathroom the little boy would cling on his shirt and would have to be physically peeled away, even if Daryl let go of Archer for a few seconds the boy would start wailing. It was frustrating for everyone. Daryl had to grow re-accustomed to having children in his life and after just a few days was beginning to struggle, he was the kind of man who needed alone time every now and again but Archer just wouldn't allow it. Carol had tried to help by distracting the child for a while but as soon as Daryl moved he was back on red alert, clinging to his father's shirt as he tried to walk away.

The man's eyes focused straight on his daughter as he walked in, placing his son down next to his twin, a weak smile growing on Daryl's face as Archer snuggled in his sister's side. As soon as Archer was comfortable Daryl's fingers ran through his hair, pulling the dark shaggy locks tightly with his fingers while he stared at his children, not muttering a single word as he watched.

For the first time that day he allowed his eyes to meet Carol's properly, Daryl's blue set expanse locked with hers allowing Carol to see exactly how he was feeling. He looked tired, judging by the lines around his face and the dark bags under his eyes.

"You look exhausted Daryl." Carol said honestly watching him shift his weight to lean against the wall, Daryl's arms crossed over his chest as he glanced back and forth between his family and the woman.

He took a deep breath and dragged his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing on it unceremoniously as he looked for an answer. "Ain't slept much, not used t' sharin' my bed 'nymore." Carol watched Daryl's eyes glaze over like he was lost in thought, probably remembering the last time he had to share a bed with his children, or maybe even the time he shared his bed with their mother. It was pretty obvious to Carol that he wasn't entirely keen on the twin's mother, but despite everything she put him through, Daryl made sure he did right by the woman.

"I'm sorry I can't help you with that, I would take him from you for a while, if he didn't cry all the time." Carol replied moving herself closer to the children so she could tuck the sleepy little boy in beside his sister. Archer shuffled and Carol couldn't help but smile a little when Archer's hand clutched his twin sister's shirt tightly, he obviously missed her presence.

With Imogen being unconscious it was almost like the twins had been separated, wedged apart by an invisible force that prevented them from enjoying their bond. Carol knew most twins were inseparable so this must have been horrific for Archer, he wanted someone to play with and chat too, but instead he was sat in a prison with only their father as a familiar face. "Not yer job t' take care of 'em. Can't expect ya t' do that." He whispered in reply, Carol knew Daryl wasn't the type of man to rely on anyone other than himself, he didn't want to place himself in Carol's debt but she knew he needed to get some real rest. Daryl needed a decent rest and some time to relax, Archer's screaming was wearing him down.

"I want to take care of them both, it'll help me feel less... useless." Carol said as she unnecessarily fussed over the children, brushing Imogen's skin with her fingers. The little girl's skin was looking a lot better than when Daryl brought the twins in, she was looking a lot less grey than before, her lips were pink instead of blue now. The little red lumps all over her skin had all but vanished but she still wasn't awake yet.

Daryl frowned when she spoke, Carol couldn't possibly believe she was useless could she? Sure it had taken quite some time for Carol to adapt to this world, but she always tried her best, she had even learned to use a rifle so she could help protect the group. Not only had Carol learned a lot, she had been there for Daryl when he needed her, when he dug his heels in and tried to push everyone away she forced her way back into his life. Without actually forcing him to express his emotions, Carol could be Daryl's rock and that could be reversed. He'd supported her, just by being there, even if he couldn't offer comforting words he had still been around.

The pair were disturbed from their small talk by the arrival of Hershel, who'd come to check on Imogen. Daryl automatically bristled when Hershel got close to his daughter, wanting to shove the man aside before he'd even lay a finger on the little girl. Carol could see his fingers curling into fists and then unwinding again so he could drum them nervously against the wall, she knew how protective of his children Daryl was, so finding Axel in Imogen's cell was really going to knock his trust with everyone else. Daryl leaned forward slightly dragging one thumb up to his mouth so he could chew the nail as he watched Hershel check her pulse, it made Daryl a little uncomfortable when he pulled Imogen's eyelids back to check her pupils but he said nothing and just watched, waiting for the doctor's verdict.

The old man pointedly looked towards Daryl before pulling the sheet down, as if asking his permission or showing Daryl he meant his babies no harm, he just wanted to examine both Imogen's feet. Something about blood flow and pressure, but Daryl had stopped listening, he paid more attention on watching Hershel's hands so he could make sure everything stayed decent. Carol knew by the way Daryl's eyes tracked Hershel what he was doing and what he was thinking, so she listened to everything Hershel said so at least one of them had the correct information. Daryl nearly flipped when Hershel reached towards Archer, it took every ounce of strength not to rip the old man off the side of the bed and throw him out of the room, he should have expected Hershel to look at Archer too but the sudden movement had scared him.

When Hershel was satisfied with how well Archer was doing and the improvements in Imogen's health he stood up, stopping beside Daryl to let him know Archer would eventually settle down again, he was probably just suffering a little separation anxiety and needed a lot of love and affection to recover. Daryl nodded silently, wanting to thank Hershel for everything he'd done but he simply couldn't force the words out, he'd become a little numb and unresponsive.

Slowly he sat himself down on the end of Imogen's bed, turning his back to Carol and the children so he could drop his head in his hands and let out a heavy sigh. Carol watched the man for a few seconds and felt her heart squeeze when she took in Daryl's slumped shoulders, without even thinking she stepped towards him and placed a hand on the back of his head. Daryl bolted upright again making Carol's hand fall from his head to the back of his neck, Daryl's eyes were cold and calculating for no more than a nanosecond before he gave up trying to be angry or resisting her, he just let Carol touch him gently as he tried to gather his thoughts.

The feeling of her cool hand against his hot skin felt good, it was comforting and not stifling like most other touches. This woman was his best friend for many reasons and this was one of them, she knew he had reservations on human contact and while still trying to initiate it she never pushed him too far. If Daryl needed to he could easily break away from her, but he didn't want to, Daryl wanted to let Carol soothe his now raging headache by just touching his skin.

"Just need some time to get back in the swing of things, being a parent is really tough." Carol said a little absently, leaning down to kiss the top of his head almost like he was a child, Carol could feel Daryl's body tense in response to the affection but he nodded in agreement immediately after. But apparently somebody had other plans, they were not going to give Daryl the time he needed to adjust. Daryl was going to be thrown in at the deep end of the parenting world.

"Daddy?" Archer.

"Daddy?" Imogen.


	4. Chapter 4

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_JackAndHoney: Edited the past chapters with everything you suggested, might have missed a few bits here and there but overall fixed. Thanks for the help. :)_

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Daryl watched soundlessly as his daughter ran around completely carefree, like she hadn't been unconscious just a few days ago or that they didn't live in a dangerous world. She had begged him to let her outside to play after he insisted she stay inside the prison for a few days, to rest and build up her strength, it was hard to tell her she couldn't leave the prison when she gave him the puppy dog look with her beautiful eyes. The twins had started getting restless by the end of the first day, Daryl knew they inherited his love of freedom which was why they were desperate to get out, but Daryl had worried that something would happen out there.

He worried that Imogen would slip back in to unconsciousness if she ran around too much, Rick had done his best to reassure the redneck his daughter was on the mend, but it still took three more days before Daryl could bear the idea of letting the children outside. Even then he held his children close, especially his daughter to protect them from anything out there, he refused to let either of them run off for nearly an hour until Carol managed to convince him the children would be fine.

The sudden urge to turn around forced Daryl to grab his knife, even with his crossbow beside him, he'd never have time to load it so with one glance to his oblivious children he turned back to whatever was approaching. Instantly Carol raised her hands in surrender, showing she meant him no harm and only continued on her path when Daryl dropped the knife and faced the twins again, he felt the woman get closer before she sat beside him. Her shoulder pressed to his. He said nothing.

"This is the happiest I've seen Archer." She said a little absently as if talking mostly to herself.

Daryl shrugged, reaching up to rub his chin. "Peach really brings the best out of him." As soon as the words left is mouth he realised what he said, Daryl had called Imogen that old nickname again. He promised himself he'd stop calling her that when the twins were lost, it was like Daryl's way of stripping the emotion and feeling from their bond so his guilt and anguish didn't eat him alive. By using the nickname it showed Carol how much Imogen meant to him, his children were his weakness and he didn't like anybody knowing that, even if it was pretty damn obvious. To his surprise Carol didn't bat an eyelid at the nickname which made him feel a bit more comfortable, he shuffled and wrapped his arms around his legs listening to Archer shriek with excitement as he fell into the grass, his twin sister collapsing over him and giggling. "Didn't think I'd ever see her awake again."

Carol smiled sadly, she knew before Daryl knew he'd given up on his daughter. "It doesn't matter any more, they're both perfect." The guilt that was eating at him must have been close to unbearable, he felt awful for not finding the children during the apocalypse and he felt even worse for thinking Imogen was going to die. Daryl never let anyone know how he was feeling but Carol could see it in his eyes, those brilliant blue and silver eyes were almost vacant, he was trying not to think too much about anything. But Carol knew he would have to think about this, Daryl was never going to forgive himself otherwise.

Daryl glanced at Carol and sighed, he couldn't explain how he felt about the woman. He couldn't really explain anything after Woodbury, that ordeal had really messed with his head and left his mind a little scrambled, he had tried to distance himself from the group for a while to get back into shape but Carol wouldn't let him. She kept forcing her way through Daryl's defences and breaking down his walls, telling him if he separated from the group like he did back on the farm, she would probably lose herself because Carol needed him.

Part of Daryl felt irritated by the way Carol would always involve herself with his personal business, when he was trying to recover from a particularly horrific ordeal she always got in the way with her good intentions, but he couldn't tell her because he'd hurt her feelings.

But another part of him felt confused but slightly flattered she even cared about him, nobody ever really cared about him before, not his father or his brother. Besides his mother, his family didn't love him, Merle just cared for him physically. "Archer asked if we were goin' home 's mornin." Daryl said suddenly after a bout of silence punctuated by only the giggles of two children rolling around in the grass. When the little boy asked his father if they were going home Daryl couldn't find it in him to reply, how was he supposed to explain to his two-year old son that they were never going to go home, home was overrun by flesh-eating monsters?

The hope in Archer's eyes was too much to destroy, the little boy was never going to understand and neither would Imogen, walkers were not a comprehensible subject for two young children. Carol sat in pondering silence for a moment completely unsure what to tell Daryl to do, her baby girl had been old enough to understand this world was horrific but his children, they were just too tiny and naïve to know.

Carol watched as Daryl suddenly plastered on a fake smile and opened his arms, dropping his legs so he could capture the two children running at him, he chuckled a little when they dived on him knocking him flat. Daryl's children sat over his stomach as he lay on the floor and laughed in his face, he crinkled up his nose at their laughter making both children giggle more. He faltered for a few seconds when Imogen leaned down and kissed the end of his nose, she pulled back with a giant grin making him to smile in response, Carol could see how he was forcing emotions on for the sake of his children.

Daryl was still emotionally numb after his stint at Woodbury and having to kill Merle was not helping, he had no time to grieve for his brother or get over what happened at the hands of the Governor, Daryl needed time to break down but he couldn't let himself in front of his kids. Despite the fact the man was emotionally void for now, he was an incredible father to these children, they were his top priority. Rick had told Daryl not to worry about hunting for a while so he could spend time with his babies and he even joked about letting the animal kingdom repopulate before sending their prolific hunter out again, with Tyreese's group joining the Atlanta group there were enough people to cover his shifts on watch, that way Daryl could take the time he needed to reconnect with his children.

Like any parent Daryl was going to make mistakes but Carol knew he was going to give one hundred percent to these children, which was all that mattered and if ever he needed her help, she would be there.

"Love you Daddy..." Imogen whispered placing her hands on either side of his face, Archer leaned over his sister's shoulder and repeated her sentiment as he wrapped his arms around his sister.

The twins father shuffled uncomfortably for a few seconds, he was hyper aware that what he said next Carol would hear and it would stick in her mind forever. He could return the love or ignore it, the first would make him look like he'd gone soft and the second would make him look like a heartless bastard. Of course he loved his children, but he absolutely did not want anybody knowing his feelings, even if it was Carol. But when the twins said the same thing again Daryl knew he'd have to shove his Dixon pride away and give them both what they needed to hear. "Love ya too." He whispered hoping Carol wouldn't notice, as Daryl glanced at her uncomfortably he was surprised to see tears filling her eyes as she gave a sad smile.

Carol's heart warmed at the sight of the Dixon family's display of affection but she was upset because she couldn't tell her daughter how much she loved her, she couldn't express the adoration she had for her daughter any more, Carol could only speak to a large empty void that could not return the words she longed to hear. Daryl shuffled his children backwards so they rested on his legs and sat up from his laid back position, seeing Carol so sad made his heart flutter a little, its was a mix of fear and discomfort.

He didn't know how to deal with crying women, Daryl wasn't sure how he could make the lonely woman feel any better so he lamely just stared in her direction, watching her as she wiped her eyes and choked a sniffle not wanting to seem weak. Daryl didn't see Carol as weak any more, it was almost like without having to worry about Sophia she had come into her own, it wasn't like Daryl was glad the little girl had died at all. He still hated himself for not finding Sophia in time, but with her now safe from harm Carol only had to worry about herself, she still chose to take care of the rest of the group but ultimately it was just her.

But that was a problem for him now, when Ed died back on the quarry Daryl watched the woman and her child from the background, making sure they stayed out of trouble. Back then if somebody had asked if he was silently taking care of them he would have denied it and then probably shot whoever asked, but when Sophia went missing he didn't care who knew he was protecting her, his main priority was finding the little girl. Moving into the prison was like lifting a veil on their partnership so the entire group could see, they were entirely dedicated to taking care of each other and as much as it used to irritate the redneck now he didn't mind too much, as long as Carol wasn't overbearing Daryl could cope.

Daryl still didn't understand what inspired him to massage her shoulder on their first night in the prison yard, or why he slept so close to her. He tried not to think about it and didn't dare ask why after Lori's death, Carol decided to move into the cell opposite Daryl's perch.

Carol took a deep breath and turned to meet the ice blue eyes staring at her with silent intensity. "Sorry, I didn't mean to put a downer on this, just been feeling a bit lonely lately."

The man waited before replying as his two children clambered from his lap and grabbed each other's hands, they started hugging and giggling and chatting to one another in their own childish language making Carol smile again. They were some very incredible children. "Haven't been good ta ya fer a while, have I?" Daryl said moving his eyes from hers down to his hands, watching as they awkwardly linked together and then pulled apart again, making the scars on his knuckles ripple and flex. He didn't want to make this about himself but he knew it was true, Carol relied on Daryl because she had no one else, but he had forced a wedge between them.

When he finally escaped Woodbury with Merle in tow, Daryl knew he came out a different man, he had changed so much in the space of a year and the Governor had changed him again. Carol asked exactly what happened there but Daryl snapped and told Carol it was none of her business which was the start of his frosty behaviour, for a few weeks he couldn't bear being around any one for more than a few minutes at a time and would often run of to find space and peace, he tried to let Carol back in but Woodbury was seared in his mind. He couldn't let her in because she'd get hurt.

Then out of the blue Daryl's children arrived, Archer's constant need to be around Daryl meant he couldn't focus any attention on fixing his friendship with Carol and now, with both children running around he was often distracted and had to take care of them so he still couldn't spend the necessary time with Carol. "You've had a lot on your plate recently, I get it."

Daryl shook his head in response and glanced towards Imogen, he saw her yawn and stumble and knew soon enough it would be time for the children to rest again, the little girl was still weak and needed to recover. Maybe that would give him some time to spend patching things up with the woman sat beside him, unwavering dedication and support pouring off her in waves. "Ain't good enough, ya need me 'n'... I need ya t' help me too. Not jus' with the kids, but ya gonna have to give me time." He said pausing and rubbing his hands together as he spoke. "Havin' trouble... dealin' with my shit."

Carol nodded in reply and had to fight the temptation to touch Daryl's arm to express how thankful she was he wanted to let her back in. If she touched him now while he was telling her exactly what he needed, Daryl would probably clam up and get defensive, the man didn't understand exactly how to process emotions and feelings.

The woman didn't know what to say to Daryl after that, he had openly admitted to her that actually he was having difficulty controlling himself, Daryl wasn't the kind of man to ever admit when he needed help. He would always struggle on his own, whether he was struggling with personal trauma or just needed a hand shifting bodies, he'd just soldier on until someone wordlessly cut in to help. Often he'd grunt in acknowledgement sort of as a thanks, but there was never much else.

Daryl watched as Imogen's steps slowed as she played with her brother, she stumbled a few times on the uneven grass before stopping completely, the little girl turned her body to her father and gave him the tell-tale signs. Her bottom lip pushed out and trembled as she stared at him, the girl's eyes filled up and she let out a whimper followed by a sob. Surprisingly Daryl smiled at the little girl as she became overcome with emotion and held out his arms, allowing Imogen to slowly make her way towards him and all but collapse into her father who held the exhausted child close. "Somebody's a little tired, hmm?" Carol said addressing the little girl gently, she leaned towards Imogen leaning a little against Daryl as she ran her fingers through the girl's now clean hair.

Carol wasn't prepared for Archer when he barreled into her arms, knowing his father could not pay all his attention to him, Archer went to the next person in line who always seemed to be around his father. The man in question raised an eyebrow in confusion when he saw his son snuggle into Carol's arms, mirroring his sister. Archer would usually kick and scream and cry when Carol came anywhere near him, but now the boy was holding on like his life depended on her.

The feeling that tore through Daryl's heart at that moment had no real name, his little boy had accepted the woman he had accepted, he wasn't afraid of her anymore and to prove that Archer had sought her out for comfort. It made Daryl's chest swell seeing Carol lovingly caress the little boy's face as both children dozed in the sunlight, she was softly smiling and whispering encouraging peaceful words to the little boy she was holding.

"Think we should take 'em in fer a nap, could go out huntin' while they sleepin'."

Carol watched Daryl hoist his daughter into a position he felt more comfortable with before getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help her up. The moment Carol's fingers touched the calloused hand in front of her she felt her heart stop, his rough skin brushed her somewhat softer sending shocks through her body. The woman met his eyes silently asking if he felt the same thing, but his face showed no hints or signs, he just carefully pulled Carol to her feet as she cradled his son. "You don't have to do that, Rick said you haven't got to for a while."

Daryl shrugged as he looked down at Imogen watching her shuffle and wrap her arms around his neck, he tried to ignore the look he knew Carol was giving him as they wandered back to the prison. "Feel shit jus' sittin' around doin' nothin'. Wastin' time." He replied using his shoulder to shove the door open, when they reached the cell block door Daryl whistled and caught Carl's attention, letting him take the keys and unlock the door.

Carol waited until the family reached Daryl's perch before commenting on his uselessness. "You aren't wasting time, we've got plenty of food for now. You have been under a lot of pressure lately, its time for you to recuperate." He placed Imogen on his mattress and lay the little girl's head on his rolled up poncho, then turned back to Carol and scooped his little boy from hers arms. She didn't expect to see that cold hardened mask on his face and he took the child away and placed him beside Imogen, it was obvious to Carol his new frustration was because she hadn't told him what he wanted to hear. Daryl wanted the woman to call him useless and lazy, she hated when he would do that to himself, he entirely believed he was a second-rate citizen who was worth very little to anybody.

"Ain't a pussy, don't need ya to treat me like a fuckin' kid. You think I can't look after myself?" He seethed hotly, tucking his children in his bed. Carol could feel his anger rolling off in waves and took a step away from the man, she didn't suspect Daryl would treat her violently or place a single hand on her, the distance between them was more for his sake. When he was mad having someone too close would freak Daryl out, chances were he'd lash out at a wall or the metal railings doing himself more damage.

Carol watched Daryl slowly sit down on the floor beside his children, his rough hand reached out to run his fingers across his the little boy's skin, even with Daryl's harsh demeanour Carol could see the love and dedication in his eyes. She smiled and instantly forgave him for his aggressive attitude, maybe it was a little insensitive of her to say what she did, knowing how Daryl always reacted to niceness. "I didn't mean it like that, I was just saying that at some point everybody needs to take time off and focus on what's important, you have the twins to focus on now and not just feeding the group." Carol said gently watching Daryl look up and meet her eyes, his glare quickly melted away and a look of realisation graced his features.

"Not used to doin' nothin', ever since I was a kid, I've always been doin' somethin'." The man said honestly, rubbing his tight fist against his face and then rubbing both his eyes to stave off his tiredness.

Without thinking Carol knelt opposite Daryl and glanced around the cell block, she took note of the few people hanging around but they were far to busy to pay attention to the pair, they'd never hear their conversation without getting closer. "I don't want you to think I'm prying in your business and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm guessing being a kid was pretty... difficult for you, wasn't it?"

For a second Daryl's entire body was completely rigid, his hands stilled against his face before slowly returning to stroking his children's sleeping faces, by the way Daryl froze he answered Carol's question. Part of her wanted to ask Daryl exactly what happened in the past that left him so emotionally shut off from the world but she knew she couldn't, unless he willingly opened up over this issue, she was never going to know the truth. Carol then remembered an argument they both had back on the farm, he had yelled asking her if she wanted to 'make this about my daddy.' Why hadn't she seen it then? Why didn't she realise Daryl's past had been rough? It didn't take a genius to work out where Daryl's scars came from.

"Harder than most kids, made me tough. Jus' means I ain't got much heart..." Daryl whispered in a low voice almost as if he though Carol was going to agree, he expected her to call him useless or call him a heartless bastard, but she didn't. She raised an eyebrow somewhat in disgust, well maybe he should have expected that too.

Much to his surprise Carol wasn't disgusted with him, she was repulsed by his comment. "Daryl, you are not heartless or useless or any of those other horrible things you think you are. If you were heartless you wouldn't have looked for my Sophia when she went missing, or you wouldn't care when Judith cries." She said in a tone Daryl found irritating, it was a tone that suggested he was wrong and she was right. It wasn't that he hated being wrong but more he hate when she was right. "You are the only one who can calm Judith down when she's hysterical, if you had no heart you'd simply tell her to shut up and leave."

Daryl refused to let his eyes meet Carol's blue ones because he wasn't sure he'd like what he saw. Pity. She'd be staring at him with those eyes, showing him how pathetic Carol thought he really was. "Can't talk to a baby like that." He whispered watching his children shuffle subconsciously towards each other.

The twins always had been co-dependant, living off each others presence. Daryl thought that may partly have been why Archer constantly cried when Imogen was unconscious, he couldn't see her or feel her presence when he wanted to. The pair had never been apart before, except when Daryl used to give them a bath at home. But even then, one was in the bath and the other lay on the floor, swaddled in towels and blankets to keep warm. They could coo and call out to each other and never have to worry about being away from one another.

"See, I told you. You've got a good heart." Carol murmured back reaching out to pat the man's arm reassuringly, but before she even got close to touching him Daryl pulled his arm away, wrapping it around his ribs to protect himself. He had this look in his eye which told her not to try that again, not while he was thinking of the past and the negative outlook he had on himself. Daryl couldn't handle any kind of human contact at a time like this, it was important for Daryl to have plenty of free space so he could recollect his thoughts.

"I-I ain't gonna make a big deal 'bout my past, want'a move away from that." Daryl said honestly, rubbing his chin in embarrassment and silent frustration. He glanced up at Carol but couldn't find anything else to talk about so he quietly shifted his way on the mattress with his children, saying absolutely nothing else to Carol and just laying himself beside the twins and wrapping his arm around them both.

Daryl forced his eyes to connect with Carol's and was a little bemused by her little smile, she'd convinced him not to leave his children just yet but instead get plenty of rest, so when they were finally ready to spend a few hours without their father, he would be one hundred percent prepared and well rested.

The man tried to fight the smirk that grew on his face but he knew... and she knew that he knew Carol had won this little battle. She bought him around to see things his way, but he didn't get long to sleep before another issue raised his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

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Daryl and the children had slept for about ten minutes when it happened, the group tried to keep everything quiet as they bustled around in slight panic, but of course even in his sleep Daryl was ever vigilant. The moment he heard the sounds his eyes were wide open and he sat up, grabbing his crossbow from a few feet away and gripping his knife as he watched the incident noisily spill into the cell block.

Carol had moved away from the perch a few minutes after Daryl fell asleep, just as she was about to head to the cafeteria and prepared supper Glenn and Rick dragged somebody in the block. At first Carol thought somebody had been bitten or scratched, but when the person's voice rang out she stopped, it was not someone from their group.

Within seconds Daryl had moved from the perch and stood bolt upright beside her, when Carol glanced at the man, she was a little shocked by the pale colour of his skin. His fingers curled tightly around his loaded crossbow as he slowly began rocking foot-to-foot, he was solely focused on the man Rick and Glenn dragged into an empty cell. It was unnerving to see such a strong man clearly in discomfort, his blue eyes looked wild and feral, his pulse was racing ten to the dozen.

He watched Hershel slowly make his way in after them and didn't come out for at least twenty minutes, in that time Maggie had arrived and was staring with the same horrified look as Daryl into the cell. How did they know this man? And why were they so afraid of him?

"Fuck is he doin' in the prison?" Daryl ground out through grit teeth as Maggie shuffled closer, like she was looking for his protection. His heart was racing and squeezing painfully, that man was not someone Daryl wanted to see again ever.

Carol watched in confusion as Maggie curved around Daryl, but stood just close enough to grip the back of his pale blue shirt almost without thinking. Daryl arched away from her for just a few seconds before relaxing and giving, his mind seemed to understand exactly what the young woman was doing. "They found him at the gates, looks like he's been shot." Maggie said in an unusual trembly voice, the woman was usually so strong and unshakeable.

"Is he alone?" Daryl asked quietly ignoring Carol when she asked who this stranger was and why everybody was so afraid of him. Maggie didn't have an answer for that, she just wound her fingers tightly in Daryl's shirt, knowing the man would protect her from any danger. She couldn't believe Maggie was even doing that, gripping Daryl's shirt the way she was, Daryl never would have let anybody grab him like that. He didn't intentionally ignore Carol but he was so wrapped up in what was going on and with Maggie behind him, he just couldn't find a way to tell her.

The three stood in silence until the others came back out the cell, blood smeared over their hands and their faces set serious. Nobody spoke until Rick slid the cell door closed and locked it, the sound of the lock reverberating around the room. When Rick turned to face the others he cringed at Daryl's harsh expression, the man was incredibly riled up.

"Why the hell you bring him in 'ere for?" Daryl snarled looking between Rick and Glenn. "He's fuckin' dangerous 'n' you know it!" He noticed the way Maggie didn't let go of him until Glenn was far enough away from the cell to make her feel comfortable, Maggie squeezed his shoulder as she walked away, almost thanking him for allowing her to hold on.

"Will somebody please tell me who that man is?" Carol said interrupting Rick before he could speak, she didn't expect Daryl to whirl around, looking absolutely furious but still deathly pale. She expected Daryl to grab her arms and shove her back against the wall, but he didn't he just leaned in close and snarled in response.

"That's the Governor."

Carol saw it swirling in his eyes, the fear and confusion as to why he was in the prison, the anguish brought on by remembering the things he had to go through with Merle. But most of all he was worried about his children, with such a dangerous man so close to his kids it made him uneasy.

The fact Daryl looked worried was enough to concern Carol, even when facing a horde he seemed so calm and level-headed, so seeing him this way was bound to make everyone else unhappy. His fingers were twitching around the crossbow, the man could not stand still for more than a handful of seconds, he chewed his bottom lip as he waited for someone to respond.

"He was dying, we found him at the gates bleeding. He's not going to hurt anybody locked in there." Rick said making Daryl snort in disgust, the redneck would have left him at the gates to bleed out and die or get eaten by walkers, if he reanimated that was the way he'd stay. The man never showed him any remorse, so why would Daryl?

"Hell with it. Find him anywhere near my kids 'n' I'll kill him. Should'a let him die." The group watched the man storm to the cell block door to lock it in anger and Carol completely understood why. The Governor had done some horrific things to Glenn, Maggie and even though he hadn't said it... Daryl too, locking the door meant the Governor couldn't escape and hide away. As if Daryl didn't have enough to contend with, he was now going to constantly be on guard, just waiting for something to happen and warrant the Governor's execution.

Carol stood silently with the group as they quietly discussed what to do with their new prisoner. Someone suggested clearing out a cell block for him and leaving him there, they were in a prison after all, but that idea was dismissed when Daryl passed again saying he wasn't going to be part of it.

Glenn didn't want the leader of Woodbury anywhere close to him or his girlfriend, whether he was locked up or not. Hershel suggested the same idea they initially used with Randall, take him twelve miles out and drop him off. But if the Governor found his way back to Woodbury again they were done for. The predicament they found themselves in left them in a sticky situation.

"Look at the way Daryl's been since Woodbury, if one man could do that to a Dixon, then surely that's proof enough he shouldn't be here. We have children here Rick, if the Governor miraculously escapes you know he'll go for Daryl's weakness, the twin's will be in danger." Carol said glancing back to the perch to watch Daryl lie beside his children again.

She knew he wasn't going to sleep after this and wasn't going to sleep often in the future either. Things were going to get pretty bad in the prison and soon, the man was going to be restless and uncomfortable. Not to mention volatile.

Rick stepped forward and placed a hand on Carol's shoulder, trying to reassure her. "I know what Daryl means to you, but we don't even know what happened to him yet..." Rick said in a low term, trying not to offend anyone. He was pacing his words so he could continually gauge her reaction. "... Chances of a repeat performance are slim, he doesn't have the same resources to do that again."

Some part of Carol knew what Rick was saying was right, but at the same time their was still a chance of the Governor getting loose, seeking revenge on Daryl for escaping. Just knowing the man could have been in danger made her blood run cold. Not just for him but the children too.

"It's not your children he'll go after, so it doesn't really matter to you does it?" Carol spat angrily, twirling on her heel and immediately heading back up to the perch, she didn't want Daryl to feel alone. Even if that was what he wanted, she could hear Rick calling her name so he could try to justify bringing a dangerous murderer into the cell block, nobody had even told Michonne yet as she covered the prison's perimeter. She was going to go berserk.

Carol got to the top of the perch and her steps faltered, he was staring at her with those beautiful blue eyes, but his eyes were showing the man's inner turmoil. The look he gave her, even with the frown, was heart breaking. He was angry and frustrated because of the Governor, even if he didn't say so he must have been scared too.

His arm was wrapped around the children and his chin rested against his little girl's shoulder, Daryl was holding his babies tight, holding them to keep the pair safe and protected in his arms.

The man glanced up to Carol before turning his attention to his daughter's shoulder, blankly staring out at her, Carol could see his thoughts swirling around and it was hurting him. Daryl must was probably thinking about Woodbury and Merle because his fists curled tightly and he shut his eyes, trying to block the thoughts.

Carol slowly moved around to sit beside his head, her movements purposely slow to keep him from freaking out and grabbing her. Or flinching and accidentally hurting one of the sleeping children.

For a moment Carol didn't know what to do, Daryl pulled himself closer to his children and buried his face in the little girl's shoulder, she was keeping him grounded and stopping him from losing his mind. "Daryl..."

"Don't. Jus' don't, I don't wanna talk 'bout it." He replied, Daryl didn't even seem angry as he spoke. His voice was flat and dull as he spoke, slightly muffled by his daughter.

The woman carefully reached out and let her fingers touch the man's head, he tensed but surprisingly Daryl didn't force Carol's hand away, he just allowed her to run her fingers through his shaggy hair. It was getting awfully long, maybe one day he'd feel safe enough to let her cut it.

Silently Carol's fingers trailed through his hair, massaging his scalp to ease the headache she knew Daryl almost permanently carried. It was a tension headache, caused by the constant worry of having to deal with walkers and hunting for food, it was all stress related.

Daryl sighed quietly and subconsciously leaned into Carol's touch, the man couldn't stop himself from moving towards the woman's affection. Nobody had shown him any kind of affection since he was a little kid, so he couldn't even begin to imagine pulling away from her.

"What if I can't protect 'em Carol?" He whispered quietly, making him shuffle and pull his baby close. He seemed to have an exceptional bond with his daughter, the man loved his son unconditionally too but Imogen was daddy's little girl, every daddy loves his daughter.

The woman frowned slightly and looked down at Daryl. "What are you talking about Daryl?" She said bringing her thumb down a small margin so she could brush his skin with her fingers, to comfort the hurt and confused man. "Nothing is going to happen to your children."

Carol watched Daryl as he rolled on his back and slowly sat up, forcing her hand to slip away as he sat with his back to the woman. He knew the day would come when he finally had to tell someone the shit he'd been through, in both Woodbury and in his childhood. "You don't know Carol... h-he... the shit he tried t' do t' me was fuckin' insane. Can't let him hang around 'ere. He's fuckin' crazy."

She didn't miss the way his voice wobbled in fear, Daryl was not the kind of man to wobble or even seem the slightest but afraid in a bad situation. Carol could not bear to think of the things Daryl must have suffered, tied up in a dark room somewhere maybe with Merle. Or maybe he was separated from Merle so he never knew what was going on, both brothers were beaten individually or perhaps they were forced to watch as they were both beaten.

When Daryl got back from Woodbury the man had been covered in bruises and blood, his wrists and legs were burnt from rope, but other than that Carol hadn't seen many of Daryl's physical injures. He hid his injuries away from the entire group except Hershel who treated him, but judging by the way he walked for a few days afterwards and the way he cradled his arm, Daryl must have been in a pretty bad way.

Carol carefully reached out and lightly pressed her hand to the back of his shoulder, fanning her fingers to cover plenty of space but still keep the contact minimal. "I don't know what to tell you Daryl, nothing can happen to Archer and Imogen while he's locked up. They'll be absolutely fine, we'll all look out for them."

He just sat there in silence for a little while, his head hanging as he scrubbed his face and rubbed his neck. "...He tried using me for an experiment." Daryl said suddenly in a low voice. "Said if I didn't do the shit he wanted, he'd kill Merle, Merle's tough as shit but I couldn't sit 'n' watch. He's my brother." Daryl hesitated for a moment and waited as Carol slowly shifted around to sit beside him, he turned his head away so she couldn't look him in the eye but at the same time rotated his forearm, exposing the inside of elbow.

"What would they need your blood for?"

Daryl took a deep breath and let his fingers move to the spot, rubbing his dry fingers across the many pink dots still littering his skin. Originally they'd hurt quite a bit, but now they were only mentally painful to look at. "Tried gettin' me t'... eat walker, see if I'd turn. Couldn't do it. Kept beatin' the shit outta me 'n' Merle, killed bunch'a walkers 'n' drained their blood..." Daryl fell silent for a moment when Carol let out a gasp, her eyes filling up as she reached out and touched his knee. He didn't explain what happened with the blood but Carol knew there were two possible things.

If Daryl hadn't escaped Woodbury he either would have to drink the blood like some kind of vampire, or it was going to be injected into his system. Either way, his life would have been in danger and the psychological trauma must have been unbearable for him.

Carol watched his entire demeanour change when one of the children stirred, Archer carefully picked himself up with his eyes still closed and shuffled on to Daryl's lap, looking for his father's love and comfort. Daryl quietly whispered a few words to the little boy who fell asleep again a few seconds later, as the boy nuzzled into Daryl's warmth, the man slumped again and went back to feeling slightly depressed and anxious. "So, he was trying to turn you without actually killing you?"

Daryl nodded and brought Archer's face up to his, kissing the tiny boy's cheek. "Guess so. Fuckin' pyscho, had plenty'a scars from home 'fore the world ended, these ain't the same though. Used my knife t' cut me... got my legs lookin' somethin' real fuckin' awful."

Carol frowned again and subconsciously glanced at the man's legs, wondering what he was hiding under the material, what could be under there? What had the Governor done to Daryl both physically and mentally? "You've let Hershel clean them up right?" Carol could have gasped when he shook his head, the deep lacerations would more than likely get infected if he didn't take care of them properly. "Daryl, you know how dangerous that is. You've got to let him clean them up, before they get infected."

"No point. Mostly healed now anyway." He said quietly as he traced Archer's features, trying to ignore Carol, Daryl knew she would be disgusted and outraged by his ignorance. But when he finally looked up it wasn't outrage or disgust, it looked closer to pity and that infuriated him to no end. "Don't look at me like that!" He said his voice becoming louder making Archer flinch in his arms. "Lived through plenty'a shit, don't need ya t' look at me like I'm some kinda kid!"

Daryl expected the meek little woman to flinch away and fill up with tears like she used to, he wanted her to run away in tears because he was angry, Daryl wanted to hurt Carol's feelings so she'd never look at him with pity again.

That was the only way he knew how to protect himself, so he was completely shocked when Carol adopted an angry scowl, the same scowl he had. The woman got to her feet immediately and stared down at him, one hand planted on her hip, as soon as she stood Daryl slowly put Archer down. He knew this was about to get heated. "You don't get it do you Daryl, you are a kid. You dig your heels in and throw a tantrum when someone says something you don't like, it's exactly what you're doing now."

Daryl scoffed and forced out a chuckle as he looked at her, pushing himself to his feet and taking a few steps so he loomed over Carol, but she didn't step back. She was not afraid of him and wasn't going to let Daryl intimidate her. Even as dangerous as Daryl looked with that glare Carol knew it was all bravado, she'd hit a nerve and hammered in a few home truths.

Emotionally Daryl was practically a baby all he knew was one emotion, like when a baby would cry over everything, Daryl just got angry over everything. That was why he was trying to frighten her away, the redneck did not want Carol exposing anymore hidden emotions or digging up his past. "Fuck you Carol, ya don't know shit 'bout me. I ain't a kid, don't pretend you know me!" Daryl seethed leaning down in her face, he heard Rick call his name to try to distract him but it didn't work.

Carol glanced sideways to Rick and saw him make his way to the stairs, he was concerned Daryl would lash out at Carol but she knew that wasn't going to happen. Daryl would never forgive himself if he hurt her."I know you better than you know yourself sometimes Daryl. You're a frightened, abused little kid."

Within seconds Daryl's entire stance changed, his aggressive posture melted away leaving him looking defeated. His bottom lip fell between his teeth as he backed away, barely missing his children as he stumbled backwards tripping over his crossbow and landing on the floor.

Carol dropped her arms and watched as Daryl scrambled backwards, her heart broke as she saw his body trembling. She was about to step forward and help him when Daryl jumped to his feet and grabbed his weapon, for a second Carol thought he was going to use it against her, but instead he shrugged it on his back and stormed away. He even went as far as to shove Rick's hand away when he tried to stop Daryl.

They both watched Daryl fumble with his set of keys at the door, taking a few minutes longer than usual to finally escape the cell block. He didn't even bother to lock the door when he left, which made Rick immediately throw his keys down to Glenn so he could lock up.

When Rick turned to Carol, he all but demanded an answer from her, he wanted to know why his second in command was so disturbed and emotional. Carol was hesitant to explain what had happened, she would have to tell Rick about Woodbury and what the Governor had done to him, she'd have to explain everything she worked out about his childhood.

As Carol spoke she purposely avoided some of the more grizzly details, she told him Daryl was experimented on but she wasn't sure of everything Daryl went through, Carol didn't tell Rick what the experiment entailed instead choosing to leave that out. She then told Rick he became so unstable because she knew about his home life, Carol knew Daryl would be pissed if he found out their leader knew this but it wasn't right to keep Rick in the dark.

Rick needed to know Daryl was both physically and mentally in a bad way. "I don't like the way he was with you Carol, honestly, do you think he's a threat to anyone else?" That was Rick's way of asking if Archer or Imogen were in any immediate physical danger.

"No. Daryl would never lay his hands on those two, he loves them far too much."

Rick nodded as he brushed his forehead, this side of Daryl was exhausting. The man's emotions and feelings were beginning to give the rest of the group whiplash, he went from being relatively calm back to the old aggressive Daryl in seconds, when that happened he was inconsolable. He just lashed out at every one around him. "Alright, make me a promise though. If you're concerned ever, don't keep it to yourself, the last thing we need is another Shane."

Carol took a deep breath and nodded, she looked down at the two blissfully unaware children. Archer had wrapped his little arm around his twin sister and was protecting the girl, just like his father had done. Slowly Carol sat down opposite the children and as her slight anger disappeared, she began to feel awful, she knew Daryl would have reacted badly to their discussion.

She was not sensitive to his condition, Carol knew Daryl was not the kind of man who trusted easily so instead of accepting the information he gave, she kept digging for more and that forced his barriers back up.

Daryl was becoming just like Shane, he was unable to control himself and unable to recognise the fact he was losing control.

Carol sat on the perch with the kids until they both woke up, they called for their daddy initially but stopped when he didn't come. The group went to the cafeteria for supper and the children called out for Daryl again but he still didn't return from storming off.

What really crushed Carol was when the light began to fade and she carried the children up to the perch, the twins settled in Daryl's bed and began to call out for him again. Over and over as they lay in the bed, but even as the children's cries became more desperate, the children's father didn't come back to comfort them.

That night the children cried themselves to exhaustion, begging and whimpering for their daddy but he never returned to the prison that night, which is exactly why Carol fell asleep beside the children. Comforting them every time they woke up crying for Daryl, it was her fault Daryl ran away, so it was her fault his children were in so much emotional pain.

Carol knew she had to do something to make this right, she just had to wait for Daryl to get back.


	6. Chapter 6

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

So what do we think about the latest episode of The Walking Dead? Gotta say I wasn't impressed with Daryl leaving, but we know he'll be back. I loved Little Asskicker's box, thought that was a beautiful little touch. Poor Carol, she just wants her Daryl back.

_Sorry my updates are taking so long, I've broken my keyboard, the space bar is in two pieces. Obviously the space bar is a very valuable piece of equipment when it comes to writing, but never fear I have a new keyboard on its way._

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Daryl was sat on the stairs when Carol returned from her watch, the children were out in the yard with Beth and Hershel and everyone else had deserted the cell block as soon as the redneck arrived. They wanted to give him as much space as possible, not one person mentioned his arrival to Carol so she was completely stunned when she set eyes on him. The man looked rough.

He looked like he hadn't slept in days, his eyes were bloodshot and heavy, his hands were shaking and his entire body looked like it was about to collapse in a mound. The man's crossbow lay still loaded at his feet as he blankly stared at the floor, he was in a really bad place. As Carol got closer the thick layers of dirt, blood and grime became more apparent. He was too physically and mentally exhausted to take a shower or even get to bed, so he just sat there hardly acknowledging anything.

Carol heard a choked sob echo through the block and realised she had made the noise, she cried because of the mess Daryl was in, it was her fault and she knew it. He needed her support and she threw it back in Daryl's face, that broke him. It shattered his soul and left him in this vacant shell. She slowly made her way towards the man and let out a shuddering breath when his cerulean blue eyes connected with hers, he was in pieces. His eyes were dull and flat, there was no rebellious sparkle or cheeky shine, they were just lifeless.

"I'm sorry Daryl." She whispered cautiously moving to sit next to him on the stairs, Daryl's eyes never left Carol's as she made herself comfortable beside him. He didn't have it in him to speak, uttering any words were far too painful. Daryl didn't want to say anything in case Carol started digging again, the Governor was just a few feet from them locked up in a cell, Daryl didn't want him to hear their conversation. That would just give their prisoner more of a psychological hold over him.

It was horrific seeing Daryl the way he was, Carol would much rather have Daryl get mad and grab a weapon than sit around so passively. It just wasn't him.

The woman shuffled closer to Daryl, surprised when he didn't edge away as her knee pressed against his leg, he just stared at her with no emotion. Just a blank stare. "Can't sleep." Daryl whispered, offering the woman no information on where he'd been the past two days or what he'd been doing, he only told her he couldn't sleep. Carol silently reached her hand up to his face, smearing some of the dirt on his skin as she brushed her thumb over his cheek, Daryl sighed and leaned towards the woman as he closed his eyes.

It didn't take a genius to work out he was probably suffering from nightmares, both Maggie and Glenn suffered them when they returned from Woodbury. Just because Daryl was a Dixon, it didn't mean he was immune to nightmares. "Why don't you just go to bed and just rest." She prompted, hoping he'd say yes and would soon be himself again, but Carol knew that was a lot to hope for.

For a minute Daryl seemed to consider the suggestion, but then pushed it aside, instead choosing to stay where he was. He glanced up at the cell block door for a few seconds and saw Rick, in his arms sat Imogen, who was clearly excited to see her father and following immediately behind was Maggie and Archer.

Imogen all but jumped from Rick's arms and dived at Daryl, pushing her arms around his neck as he very sluggishly returned the embrace. His hold on his daughter was loose but at the same time, Carol knew Daryl would not let his baby fall. "Love you daddy." The little girl whispered, she was about to reach up and kiss him when she finally realised how filthy Daryl was. "Yuck, daddy dirty."

The man didn't have the energy in him to get up and take a shower, Daryl knew he had to soon but he lacked the energy needed to complete such a task. He couldn't even return his baby girl's loving sentiment because he was so wiped out.

Carol giggled grabbing Imogen's attention, the little girl smiled before looking over her shoulder at her brother, Imogen twisted in Daryl's arms and jumped on his lap. But Archer's attention was cast on the cell at the far end of the block, that made Daryl bristle, the exhaustion that enveloped him left for just a few minutes.

Merle told Daryl before he took the twins, the children knew the Governor so he had to make sure they didn't see him. Daryl did not want his children anywhere near that psychopath. But when Maggie placed Archer on his feet the little boy did exactly as Daryl feared, the boy squealed with delight and headed to the Governor's cell, giggling with excitement.

Daryl jumped to his feet and all but sprinted to his son, all numbness and exhaustion vanished as he scooped the boy up. Daryl's eyes widened in surprise when Archer began bucking in his arms, desperate to be let down. The entire group froze when a voice rang out from the cell.

"Stop that, boy." The stern voice commanded and within an instant Archer stopped throwing himself about and turned to the cell. "Those eyes must be a family trait." They were a family trait passed down from his father's side, but he didn't need to know that. The Governor did not need to know Daryl's brilliant blue eyes were hundreds of years old.

Daryl snarled in response, his entire face adopting a stormy glower. That man had no right talking about his family or his children, hell he was lucky Daryl left his crossbow by Carol's feet or the Governor might have already become just another body. Daryl didn't say a word as he carried Archer to the stairs, glancing at his daughter who had been picked up by Carol immediately after Daryl jumped away from her.

"Aren't you going to tell them Daryl?" The Governor said very suddenly making Daryl stop, his entire body froze solid, he couldn't even begin functioning again when Archer babbled in his ear. "Tell them how you couldn't save Merle as I punched him repeatedly in the face, tell them what it felt like to wear his blood like a second skin. Show them how I carved my initials in to your skin, you are mine now. I own you; you little bitch!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Daryl yelled turning his body to the cell, when he saw the man stood by the door grinning, the air rushed from his lungs leaving him gasping for breath. The Governor was just staring at him with a big smile, Daryl couldn't stop memories of the same grin barreling into him. The Governor looming over him beaming as Daryl sat tied to a wooden chair, the Governor smiling as his fist jammed in to Daryl's stomach, as he choked Daryl with both hands. "I'm not your bitch!"

He tried not to swear so often around his children, but Daryl really couldn't stop himself at that moment, he was so incredibly angry. Swearing and cursing was Daryl's way of venting when he was mad, but he did not want any of his children repeating those words again, not like last time. Their mother nearly fell down dead when Archer dropped the F-bomb and Daryl, he ended up being cuffed around the back of the head.

The redneck whirled around and stamped towards the rest of the group who stood in complete silence, everybody expected Daryl to freak out and take his rage out on the other man, but he did nothing.

Daryl practically let the Governor get away with insulting him, the normal Daryl would have flew off the handle in response to being called someone's bitch.

Carol watched the man approach her and none to gracefully slump on the stairs, the sound he made when coming into contact with the step made everybody wince, everybody except Daryl who said and felt nothing. Carol knew that was going to hurt later, but he completely ignored the pain.

The woman looked to Rick in desperation, they needed to do something about this quickly, the hunter was not going to cope taking a constant onslaught from their prisoner. "He's got to go." Rick said quietly as if trying to hide it from the Governor.

Daryl didn't even bother to look up from the floor as Archer and Imogen bustled around him, he just blankly stared out clearly lost in thought. His body was still but his mind was racing, teeming with thoughts and memories of everything he ever suffered by somebody else's hand.

Be it the Governor. His father. Or his brother.

Daryl flinched violently when Archer reached up and tugged at his hair, as soon as it happened the little boy yanked his hand away in surprise. When Daryl seemed to relax the little boy then slowly thread his fingers back through his father's hair, entirely focusing on his father's reaction as if trying to gauge him.

Carol watched the man pull Archer close and bury his face in the little boy's neck, he was trying to hide from the rest of the group. Daryl knew the twins wanted his undivided attention after he disappeared but that wasn't going to happen, he was too exhausted and could do nothing other than just sit beside Carol.

It took a few moments of silence for Carol to realise Daryl wasn't going to do anything without motivation. A lot of motivation, so she gently stood up with Imogen in her arms and looked down at Daryl. "You hungry?" Carol asked, brushing his head very cautiously. Daryl didn't care she was touching him in front of the others, he just peeked out from behind Archer's neck and met her eyes. He didn't even care that she was babying him, he tried to enjoy the feeling of her just stroking his head.

The redneck shook his head even though he hadn't eaten since he left, his stomach was doing so many flips, Daryl was pretty sure if he ate anything it would not stay down. That would be a massive waste of food they didn't have.

This time it was Rick's turn to speak, he knelt in front of Daryl and Archer, he was addressing Daryl but at the same time, stroking Archer's cheek so not to pay too much attention to the man. "You should go up and lie down, don't worry about the children, we'll take care of them." Rick said making both children turn to their father, Daryl pulled back from Archer's neck and looked his little boy in the eye.

He had a stern frown which confused Daryl slightly, his little boy was mad at him. Was that because Daryl pulled Archer away from their prisoner? His son had no idea how dangerous the Governor really was.

Maybe Archer and Imogen were both mad because he wasn't really paying attention to them. Daryl felt too numb to really listen to anybody or do anything, he just wanted to sit there, but the group weren't going to let him.

"Daddy tired?" Archer said wrapping his arms around Daryl's neck and hugging him tight. "Daddy go bed." Everybody besides Daryl chuckled a little, he just sighed. Daryl hated pawning his children off on the others but he knew they were right, whether he wanted to or not, he needed to get some sleep before he passed out.

Daryl only woke up once for the rest of that day. He was too exhausted to have nightmares.

Carol brought him something to eat, he went to the bathroom and then let the children kiss him goodnight. He would have sat and pondered over his children kissing him goodnight, instead of the other way around, but he was just too exhausted to think.

When Daryl finally woke up again the next day, he felt odd. Something was not right and he could tell before even getting up. He glanced around the cell block and quickly realised everybody was missing, there wasn't a single sound in the block, not even from the prisoner. Slowly and sluggishly he got to his feet, forcing his aching muscles to move as he got to his feet and stretched, savouring the feeling of his limbs uncoiling.

Daryl grabbed a relatively clean shirt they managed to plunder from a nearby store, without hesitating he peeled the filthy shirt from his body and in its place pulled on the dark brown shirt. He tore the sleeves off the shirt the moment he grabbed it, sleeveless shirt were surprisingly freeing. Only now he regretted it, the tiny scars in the flesh of his elbow were exposed to the group, the only way he knew to hide them was a thick layer of mud. But he didn't have any of that within the prison walls.

After a deep groan Daryl grabbed his crossbow and head for the cell block door, the entire time he avoided looking in the Governor's cell and focused only on the door, Daryl was a little surprised when he didn't hear the Governor insulting him. He immediately headed for the shower block and took a lukewarm shower, it made him miss hot water even more.

After a pretty unsatisfying shower Daryl headed outside, it seemed to be a nice day out so that was probably where they were, he stopped off at the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

He only ended up eating a slight stale cereal bar before the sick feeling in his stomach returned, so he shoved the other bar in his pocket, the children would appreciate half a bar each. Those two used to eat his refrigerator clean when he was taking care of them, not that he really and much in there in the first place.

When Daryl finally got outside he suddenly wished he had stayed in bed. Most of the group were stood out in the courtyard, pensive looks etched on their faces and it took a while for him to work out why.

Rick was stood up on the guard tower looking pretty agitated as usual, Maggie and Glenn were nowhere to be seen while Hershel and Beth sat on one of the benches with the baby. Daryl scanned the courtyard for any sign of Carol and his children, he found them stood a little further down the fence with Carl. For a minute Daryl was confused why they were stood at the fence, when the children clearly wanted to be in the yard, but then he saw it and his blood ran cold at the same time his blood boiled.

Daryl yanked his crossbow from his shoulder and loaded the weapon before storming over to the tiny group. "Fuckin' back away from the fence!" He snarled catching Carol's attention, she took a few steps back, grabbing both the twins hands as she did.

"What's the matter Daryl, worried your children love me more?"

"Ya fuckin' lucky I don't shoot ya, you keep yer ass away from my kids, or I'll kill ya." The man seethed showing very little of the numbness he felt the day before, now he was furious. What was Rick thinking letting the Governor out of his cell to wander the yard, even if the gates were chained up and his hands were cuffed, he did not deserve the luxury of exercise. In Daryl's mind he didn't even deserve to live, the only thing stopping him from actually putting a bolt in the man's head where he stood was the fact his children were still watching, they didn't understand why the Governor was such a bad person.

The Governor took care of the children when they were at Woodbury, Daryl would have been eternally grateful if it wasn't for the fact the Governor attacked him and his friends. When Daryl lost his children, he was pretty sure he would never see them alive again, he was glad someone took care of his most precious possessions. But he wished it was not the Governor. Anybody but him.

Daryl sharply grabbed Carol's arm and pulled her away from the fence, the two children gripping the woman's hand as they were roughly tugged away. Daryl growled when Carol cried out in pain, he was holding her much tighter than she was comfortable with. The redneck didn't seem to care much, he pulled her towards Hershel and Beth before letting go and whirling around to face her.

"Why the hell ya lettin' 'em near him!" He growled feeling unbelievably angry at Carol for allowing his children anywhere near the prisoner. She promised to take care of them while he was resting, she knew his wishes and went against them. Carol was supposed to be his closest most trustworthy friend.

Daryl's children needed to understand the groups new inmate was not someone to be trusted, the man was a danger to everyone around. Especially Daryl and the children. "I couldn't stop them Daryl, they were too excited." She said honestly reaching up to rub the spot on her arm that was now bruising, she hadn't meant to let him down, the children were just so incredibly excited to see the Governor wandering around.

When Carol tried to pull the little ones from the fence, they both clung on with all their strength, their tiny fingers clutching at the Governor's hand. Carol didn't speak when the Governor spoke to Daryl's children, cooing at them almost as if he loved them, making the children squeal with happiness.

But that really was the only reason the children always ran to the Governor whether they were with Daryl or not, it was because he responded to them and showed them how he felt towards the twins. But Daryl was so numb and emotionally shut off he didn't really talk to his children, the man cuddled his children when they wanted his attention and he answered their questions, but he couldn't make himself have a childish conversation. Daryl couldn't make himself play with the children, kiss and tickle and spin them around.

He was practically a robot.

Archer and Imogen needed more than just a cuddle when they were desperate for his love, they needed him to sit down and play games, the twins both needed Daryl to become more natural.

Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes at Carol who still held the now whimpering children, they were upset because they were taken away from the Governor, but also because Daryl's voice was getting louder with every few words. "Ain't good enough Carol..." He growled, he didn't mean to say what came out next, he was just so angry that his mental filter would not work. "Ya might'a got ya kid killed, but ya ain't killin' mine too!"

He heard Beth let out a gasp of disgust. Hershel on the other hand said and did nothing, he just stroked Judith's face.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Daryl's anger disappeared and he was overcome with guilt. He saw Carol's fingers retract from the children's hands, the twins skittered away but instead of running to the fence again, they both reached out for Beth. Archer and Imogen were sniffling and buried their faces in Beth's arm, for a moment Daryl considered going to comfort them but he realised quickly Carol needed his attention first, her pain was more poignant then theirs.

"Carol, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I don't know why I said that." Daryl said quietly, watching the woman's hand raise to cover her mouth and her eyes fill up with tears. Carol couldn't stop the tears from spilling over down her cheeks, Daryl was supposed to be her best friend, so why would he say something like that.

When he blamed her for Sophia's death back on the farm it was because he was grieving for Sophia too, even though he didn't really know her. But now it was just pure anger and aggression. "I-I didn't... why... how could you...?" Carol couldn't finish a single sentence as she stared Daryl in the eyes, her eyes portraying liquid agony as she remembered the way he daughter died, twice.

The redneck sighed and glanced towards the man stood at the fence, he was grinning at the mess his presence alone had caused to Daryl and Carol's relationship. This was what he wanted, the Governor wanted to destroy the groups bond and completely shatter their unity. "Shit, such a fuckin' idiot." He whispered, running his fingers through his hair as the woman in front of him cried. He didn't mean to lash out. "Supposed t' be takin' care of ya."

Carol was about to reply when her attention was captured by the children, the twins had suddenly burst in to hysterical tears. They both ran from beside Beth back to Carol, hugging the woman's legs. The twins were upset because the woman who'd been taking care of them was devastated, her heart was breaking because of a few angry seconds of speech.

Seeing his babies cry because he hurt Carol's feelings made everything more realistic for Daryl, he swooped in and picked Archer up in his arm's prompting Carol to take the other child in her arms. When Carol picked up the tiny girl, Daryl stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the woman and his child. "I'm sorry Carol, Sophia would kick my ass if I she was here. Wouldn't let me talk to her Momma like that."

Despite her tears Carol actually giggled, burying her face in the man's chest as her free hand grasped Daryl's shirt. "She'd give you a mouthful." Carol replied relishing her daughter's memory, when Ed was finally out of the picture, Sophia really picked up the art of standing up for herself. She picked most of that up subconsciously from Daryl, Sophia looked up to him even if he was crazy aggressive, he made her feel safe so long as he didn't lash out at anyone.

"I'm sorry fer hurtin' ya like that. My head ain't with it. Not at all."


	7. Chapter 7

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_Well, after seeing the latest two episodes of TWD I think I almost died. For a moment when Daryl's shirt ripped, I thought Merle had accidentally stabbed him and was about to cry, then I saw...well. Let's just say I felt just a little heartbroken for the poor fella. And then when Carol said look how far you've come, he looks at the distance between them and laughs. Brilliant, what's a little sexual tension between friends?_

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The laughter was single-handedly the most beautiful thing Carol had ever heard, not just because the children were giggling with genuine joy but because Daryl was laughing too. He wasn't forcing the laughter and he didn't sound miserable at all, he was actually enjoying himself. When Carol looked out of her cell, she could see why and it made her heart melt.

Daryl had laid both his children down on his mattress and was on his hands and knees leaning over them, just in that position alone, the children were giggling in anticipation. Archer was grinning and giggling as he looked at his father with complete adoration, those children loved their father indefinitely and he loved them just as much.

Carol couldn't decide what was more beautiful, the way Daryl was smiling because he knew his children were going to giggle hysterically or the fact he was completely shirtless and didn't care. Archer had insisted Daryl take his shirt off and Daryl wasn't about to refuse, after all he knew his children sometimes needed that special skin-to-skin contact, it made them calmer and sometimes helped him relax too. Feeling their presence helped ease his mind.

The idea of taking his shirt off was nerve-wracking at first, so instead of thinking it all over and psyching himself out, Daryl just whipped his shirt off to make the boy happy. For a little while Archer and Imogen sat beside their father and traced his tattoo's, their fingers running across the fighting devils on his back and the third under his arm.

Every pale and faded scar was exposed in the darkness meaning anyone who walked by could see the evidence of a brutal childhood, but it also meant the newer and more raw scars from Woodbury were on show. When Carol walked past that evening she saw some of them, they were methodically placed, not just placed wherever the blade fell. The Governor placed these scars for maximum exposure, when he reached high for something and his shift lifted, they were always on show.

He still had his cargos on and refused to remove them, the only time he ever took them off was when he was showering and changing, so nobody but Daryl and the Governor had seen those scars yet. But Carol didn't focus too much on the way his body was mutilated, instead concentrating on the way his body arched and curved while he leant down like that.

With his hands planted on the floor either side of the mattress, his shoulder blades pushed up and forced his spine to arch in a way that made Carol want to trail her fingers down his back. She wanted to feel his muscles flexing under his skin, she wanted to feel his jagged scars under her fingertips.

With a silent smile on her face Carol watched the man lean down and rub his chin against Archer's bare stomach, making the boy squeal in delight. The little boy wound his fingers through Daryl's dark hair as he tried to squirm away from his father's 'tickle-y hair.'

That was what the twins always called his little beard, if it even touched them when Daryl kissed either children, they would squeak like little mice. Carol loved seeing the man and his children so incredibly happy.

Daryl then turned to his skinny little daughter, for a moment he just stared at her tiny frame feeling a bit sick as a reaction, before going back to teasing his children. The man had given his children half of his breakfast that morning, just to try to fill her out a little more, but Imogen was still looking tiny. Rubbing his chin as gently as he could against her delicate skin, he then grinned and pressed his mouth to Imogen's stomach, blowing a loud raspberry to make her happy.

Daryl chuckled as the little one squirmed and squealed. He was acting like a natural father by showing his children the affection they yearned for, he was actually enjoying their company. It had been a long time since Daryl had felt comfortable in the presence of any children, even with Judith, Judith made Daryl a little nervous.

But this must have been what Daryl was like before the apocalypse, he was a happy and playful father because Merle and the children's mother were not around. The man could have enjoyed his babies without worrying about Merle attacking him, verbally or physically.

"Daddy?" One of the children said suddenly making Daryl stop playing with his kids to meet their eyes. Little Archer casually sat up making Daryl sit back on his heels, Carol watched in confusion as the little family suddenly became serious again, ruining the care-free moment. "Where's momma?" The little boy said in an innocent voice.

The redneck sighed and rubbed his chin, it had been a genuinely innocent question from the child. The twins had not seen their mother in a long time, Daryl wasn't entirely sure when Archer and Imogen were separated from her but he figured it was pretty early. The woman probably lost the children in Atlanta where the Governor found both of the tiny children and a handless, bleeding Merle.

Carol felt the little wave of sadness wash over her as Daryl struggled to find something to say, how could he tell his children, their mother could be dead? She could have been alive still but at the opposite end of Georgia for all he knew, either way the likely hood of them being reunited was next to zero, it was an even lower chance than Merle and Daryl ever had.

Daryl was trying his best to come up with a suitable answer that both children would understand, but the redneck kept coming up short, this was not something he was equip to deal with. He didn't want to tell his children their mother was dead, they would not understand and they would become upset.

"I dunno where ya momma is Arch..." He said finally, feeling awful when Archer and Imogen frowned in confusion but then as if the subject hadn't even changed, Archer dived in his father's arms laughing.

Daryl hugged the little boy tight for a minute before laying him back down beside his sister, he rolled both kids on their sides so there would be enough room for him to get in later. Kissing them both on the cheek as he tucked the sheets around him.

Carol watched the family with another little spark of jealousy and sadness, she wished she could still tuck her daughter in bed. That right had been taken away from her and that hurt her incredibly.

"Story Daddy?" Imogen whispered despite already being exhausted, she would probably listen to a few words before dropping off. The little girl requested a story which sounded to Carol like the word Jerky, but Daryl knew his daughter incredibly well, so he knew exactly what she wanted. Cherokee.

So the rough, tough, take no-nonsense redneck began telling a story his children obviously loved. It was another story of Georgia's history, a subject that Daryl seemed to enjoy for one reason or another. He one told Carol that before his mother took up drinking like his dad, she used to tell him different stories, so maybe it was his way of maintaining a connection with his mother.

As Carol predicted Imogen was too exhausted to get through the entire story, instead curling up and holding Daryl's fingers in her tiny hand. Daryl held his daughter's hand tightly in return as he continued his little tale of Cherokee indians. His voice was unusually soft and gentle and made Carol's heart melt.

Archer managed to sit through a few more lines than his sister before his heavy eyes fell shut. For a little while Daryl just sat by the bed watching his children breathe, when the twins were sleeping Daryl felt more at ease.

Only when Archer and Imogen were sleeping could he stop thinking walkers were going to appear from nowhere, he could stop believing the Governor was going to break free and snatch them away. Those horrific thoughts were almost completely overbearing.

Every time the group encountered a walker or the Governor breathed a little too loud, Daryl panicked. He would check everywhere for his children to make sure they were safe, he had already lost his children once, there was no way he could go through it again. Daryl pushed the thoughts away and as if he could sense her presence Daryl looked up at Carol, immediately becoming self-conscious but he couldn't make himself reach for his shirt. He just sat on the floor, waiting for something to happen, it surprised him a little when Carol nodded towards her cell. She was inviting him in.

Silently Daryl got to his feet, he glanced around for his shirt and soon realised Imogen had stolen it, she had grabbed it in her sleep and was using it as a comforter. The little girl looked so sweet and innocent, he just couldn't bear to take it away from her. So begrudgingly he carefully and quietly made his way across the perch to the cell Carol was waiting in, he could feel his heart beating like crazy and his emotions slammed in to him like a freight train, he knew what she was going to say and it scared him.

As soon as Daryl got to the door, he saw Carol's eyes dart down to his chest, she'd seen his bare chest before but never paid much attention to the scars. Purposely choosing to ignore them, but now she was purposely focusing on them and it hurt.

Carol watched Daryl's face drop, his usually stoic mask showed nothing but pure agony. His skin was flush red, his lips pressed in a tight line and his eyes filled with years of bottled up pain, he couldn't cry again. Not in front of Carol, she would think he was weak and pathetic.

But Carol didn't think that at all when the man stepped close, she ushered him a little closer, watching as he very reluctantly took a step so he ended up in the centre of the room. His entire body was trembling as the woman extended her hand towards his mutilated flesh, it took everything in Daryl's power to not flinch away even though he wanted too, he knew this moment was going to define him.

Initially Carol's fingers just grazed the raised strips of skin, trailing her fingers across a straight scar on his collar-bone, keeping her eyes entirely focused on his body. Carol knew if she even attempted to meet Daryl's eyes, he would slam his barriers back up and run away.

Daryl forced himself to take a breath when Carol's hand slowly reached for the nasty batch of scars on his stomach, they all looked the same and left his skin shredded. Maybe they were from his crossbow string snapping, or maybe his father was particularly drunk the night he inflicted those.

He stood completely frozen in the cell as Carol's hand cupped his bicep, using it as a point to pivot around his body, drawing her attention to his back. To some of the most painful looking scars both old and new, the older scars were a dark purple colour and the more recent afflictions were an angry reddish colour.

"Do you remember how you got these?" Carol asked very gently, letting both hands touch what looked like two deep burns over his spine. One hand traced up the length of his spine to reach the thin scar starting on his right shoulder-blade, just nicking the edge of his tattoo.

It almost suggested Daryl got the tattoo and... was then attacked again. How long did his suffering go on completely unnoticed? There were hundreds of questions running through Carol's mind but she couldn't ask, especially not if she wanted to keep him in the room. He was struggling with his emotions as it was.

Daryl let out a deep, shaky breath before being able to speak. "Burned me with a hot poker 'cause I-I tripped, knocked his whiskey over. Hit me with it, then got me 'gain when I was sleepin'." Daryl shakily reached up to rub his chin, these memories were supposed to be buried in the past, they weren't supposed to be playing a role in his life. "The long one, got myself a new knife. He was jus' testin' it fer me." There were several more scars littering his left shoulder-blade but nobody mentioned those, maybe they were caused by something especially painful, or maybe Daryl saw them as irrelevant in comparison to the others.

The Woodbury scars were on his sides, almost like the Governor didn't want anybody to confuse them with his old scars, like he wanted everyone to know he put those there. He physically damaged Daryl and wanted people to know, that made Carol feel sick. But she didn't show any signs in case Daryl thought she was disgusted with him.

The redneck gasped and felt his body go rigid again as Carol's chest suddenly touched his back, her arms weaving around his waist and locking in front of his stomach. She was holding him and it confused him. "The Governor will be gone soon, you won't have to worry any more... about any of this. Those scars will fade like the old ones and you'll have nothing to fear." She whispered letting her forehead rest against a tiny unmarked patch of smooth skin on his back, she inhaled deeply and relished in his natural scent.

He smelled like a man living off the land. He was earthy but it wasn't overpowering or overly intense, the smell fit Daryl so perfectly. The thin layer of dirt and sweat on his skin did nothing to repulse her, from the day she met redneck man until now he had forever been covered in dirt, even after taking a shower the man would run out and make himself filthy again.

"Always have somethin' to worry 'bout. Walkers, huntin' food, keepin' you 'n' the twins safe. Never gonna stop." Daryl replied, letting his body relax in Carol's arms, like he belonged there. It was almost like Carol wanted him there. Nobody had ever wanted him near them before.

He stood in complete silence for a moment, just waiting for something else to happen. Daryl just waited for the woman to make some kind of decision, whether she was going to change her mind and push him aside, or if she was going to ask him a few more questions. But Carol didn't ask any more questions because she knew what he meant, Daryl was always going to worry about someone or something, but at the same time he was always going be tortured by these memories.

The memories of his father burning him as he slept, the memories of having to murder the brother he tried so hard to find because he wouldn't let go of the twins, the memory of not being able to get to Sophia in time. That was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

Carol held Daryl tight as they both just stood in the middle of the cell, she wanted him to turn around and look at her but his body just wouldn't shift. It was unnatural to see him stood so still, so instead of letting him make the first move, she took it upon herself. Circling around him to stop in front of his face, staring up in to those eyes filled with pain and agony.

Her fingers reached up to graze his jaw and gently reassure him, everything was okay before drifting down to his neck and the other hand to his side, fingertips just ghosting over the scar he gained searching for Sophia. Instead of avoiding Carol's eyes, Daryl slowly looked down and met her, looking for something to say or do. He lifted his hand just like Carol and with a terrified racing heart let his hand cup her hip, he felt like he knew what was coming and wasn't sure how to cope with the pending situation.

Carol's lips were soft and gentle as they reached up to graze against his, finally doing something she had wanted to for a while. Maybe it wasn't the way she dreamt of doing it and it didn't take place in a particularly attractive location, but it was a step up from hiding the way Daryl made her feel. She panicked a little when Daryl failed to respond, his hand tightening around her hip a little hard as he stood looking mortified by her actions, just as Carol considered pulling away and running from her cell Daryl's grip softened.

He relaxed into her hands, trying to enjoy himself and let go of everything he'd been holding on to. Letting his dry, cracked lips reach out and ghost hers.

Carol's heart jumped when slowly but surely Daryl's mouth copied her actions, ever so lightly brushing against her lips as he fought internally with himself. In the back of his mind Merle and his father were both howling and hurling abuse at him, but this was what he wanted, that he was certain of. He was like a shy teenager, trying to find a rhythm and pattern to follow.

But with Daryl's heart and mind threatening to give out all he could do was fumble, to the point when he leaned forward trying to get a little more of that unique taste on her lips, he stumbled almost knocking Carol over and jarring the special moment. The only woman besides his mother to ever care about him was showing her true feeling and he ruined it, his arms shot out grabbing Carol and dragging her close to his bare chest, to prevent her from falling on the solid ground.

"Sorry, outta practice..." He whispered clearly embarrassed, Daryl was about to break away in shame and slip back to the perch so he could sleep and forget about this horrific ordeal when Carol slipped both her arms around his neck, pulling him down to reconnect their lips.

Carol didn't really care if Daryl was nervous and had little experience with women, she didn't really have much experience either, all she really cared about was the feeling of his body pressed and the mouth that spewed so many hurtful things against hers.

This time Daryl was a little more prepared, with the initial awkwardness out-of-the-way, he tried to let his instincts take over the same way he would if he was out hunting. The adrenaline and feeling of want that flooded his body was incredible, nobody ever made Daryl feel the way he did about Carol. Even though he treated her badly sometimes, she always stuck around and that made him feel eternally grateful, so he had to show her exactly how thankful he was.

Daryl let both his hands grasp her face as he pressed his lips a little more forcefully against Carol's, she was surprised by his sudden courageousness. Once he let his guard down, she realised Daryl was actually quite shy and fragile, so when he pushed her back against the wall it was more than a pleasant surprise.

They didn't make the kiss anything more than what it was. It was two people expressing their developing love for each other, no lustful desire or desperate clinging to each other, just tender caresses and loving little kisses.

When Carol pulled away for air, she almost laughed when Daryl blushed and stared at the floor. If anybody else ever saw Daryl this way, they would not believe it, nobody would believe Daryl to be so shy and reluctant.

Carol carefully pulled her hands away from the man's neck, giving him the space and freedom Daryl needed to process what just happened, her hands trailed softly down his sides as she moved around him. The woman straightened out her shirt, trying to readjust the clothing Daryl's body mussed.

"Look at those two sleeping." She whispered not wanting to wake the twins on the other side of her cell door, both children lay sprawled out on the mattress Daryl placed on the perch, holding each other in a way that made Carol's heart nearly melt. Imogen had rolled on her back while clutching Daryl's shirt tight, Archer lay on his back too with a thumb in his mouth and his free hand holding her skirt tightly.

For a second Daryl said nothing but then looked up, rubbing his chin as he absently watched the children resting. "They shared a bed since bein' born, never go to sleep without each other." He said quietly thinking about all the times his bed was invaded by the limbs of his tiny children, their hands and feet pushing him aside. Daryl didn't want to remember the time he tried to separate the twins, only to put them in single beds but they both screamed hysterically until Daryl gave up, placing them both back in his bed so they could snuggle together.

Carol glanced back at the man and felt her heart leap with excitement as she met his crystal blue eyes, they were sparkling with some kind of mystery emotion she had never seen in him before. "Do we need to talk about what just happened?" Carol asked gently turning her body his way, Daryl looked a little nervous and uncomfortable.

It wasn't every day an emotionally devoid, grieving redneck, who was just learning to cope with having his children back in his life would be kissed. Or have his past explored by the very woman he had hurt some many times before.

"Ain't nothin' to talk 'bout. Ya kissed me and I kissed ya too, nothin' else." He replied in a low voice, unable to ignore the bizarre feeling in his stomach. Daryl's heart was racing and fluttering, he couldn't tell if the sensation was part of what just happened with the kiss and his scars, but the man knew it was all caused by the woman in front of him.

Carol sighed seeing Daryl rub his hands up and down his arms, he was preparing to leave her cell and go back to bed. But Carol wasn't ready for her favourite redneck to leave just yet, so without thinking Carol grabbed one of his hands and pulled Daryl towards the bed. Initially he pulled himself away, but when Carol carefully sat against the wall giving him plenty of space to sit down, Daryl silently shuffled on the bed and reflected Carol's position.

It felt odd to be sat there with her wearing no shirt, letting her hold his hand. Daryl wasn't the kind of person who liked to hold a woman's hand, but as Carol sat their playing with his fingers just talking, Daryl realised he actually enjoyed the feeling.

"Ya know I ain't good with this shit." He said interrupting the woman who was rambling about something Dale told her, Carol halted her monologue to look Daryl in the eye.

"What are you talking about, this?" She asked gently lifting their conjoined hands to show what she meant.

Daryl nodded a little reluctantly, it irritated him when he had to admit what he wasn't capable of doing. "Holdin' hands, kissin', all that romantic shit that'll make ya happy." The man whispered trying to be sincere and honest without giving away too much of his guarded truth.

"And you think I am?" Carol replied squeezing Daryl's hand softly, he returned the squeeze in a heart beat. He was crazy about Carol but he hadn't been able to express it, he didn't know how or when was the right time. "After we got married, Ed stopped holding my hand or showing me he cared. He's the only person I've ever been with, so we are both pretty new to this."

The moment Carol mentioned her dead husband Daryl felt a fire ignite in himself. He was furious with Ed because of the abuse and suffering he put Carol through, but at the same time, he was angry at himself for just ignoring it.

Back at the quarry, Daryl knew exactly what was going on and instead of beating the shit out of Ed, Daryl disappeared into his tent trying to block out the bad memories. He was angry and bitter back then, Merle knew despite that he was concerned by Ed's behaviour, Merle told him to ignore it. Ed and Carol's domestic issues had nothing to do with them.

Except it did. Because every night he'd lie awake think about what he was doing to her, Daryl would think about the level of violence he saw and it infuriated him. He didn't know Carol but he wanted to protect her, Daryl just didn't know how.

"If this is what ya want Carol, need ya to know, I ain't gunna be like Ed. I ain't never gunna treat ya like that..." Daryl whispered, turning away slightly so she wouldn't see the sincerity in his eyes.

Carol couldn't help but smile, reaching up with her free hand to get Daryl's attention. Her thumb stroked across his jaw as they stared in to each others eyes, she had noticed the way he worded that. Daryl didn't tell Carol he would never treat her bad, because in his eyes he already had by blaming her for Sophia's death, for hurting her feelings every time he spiralled out of control.

But what Daryl did tell her was enough, he promised to never lay his hands on Carol in a way she didn't like. He would never physically beat her like Ed did, mainly because he knew he couldn't, after seeing so much violent abuse as a child Daryl wasn't physically capable of beating Carol. Sure he battered that kid Randall but Daryl was in a completely different mindset back then, one that absolutely would not acknowledge his past, so to combat the need to forget his past Daryl inflicted as much pain as possible on the kid.

"I know Daryl." Carol's fingers slowly slipped around to the back of his head, tangling in his hair just to provide that little bit of reassurance he needed to stop him from worrying, panicking over whether it was right or not. His mind told him getting into anything close to a relationship in their new world was going to end in heart-break, heart-break that would just about destroy the redneck and leave him more bitter and twisted than ever. "I trust you." Carol said pausing and hesitating slightly before taking a little breath so she could continue. "Will you stay here with me tonight?"

Daryl immediately frowned and at first considered refusing, accepting meant he would have to share her bed seeing as the top bunk had no bed, they would be close and intimate. He hadn't been close and intimate with a woman in a long time, back when the twins were conceived and that moment didn't even last long.

He met her at a bar, they had sloppy drunken sex and then she fell asleep and by that time Daryl had sobered a little so couldn't bear the thought of cuddling a stranger in his bed, that forced him to move from his bedroom to the sofa in his living-room. The whole time he prayed Merle would not stagger through the door.

Daryl didn't want to end up like that again, Carol was too special for their friendship come developing relationship to be ruined overnight by their starved sexual drives. Because starved really was the way Daryl felt, after the twin's mother, there was nothing. Before the twins mother there was next to nothing, besides three or four one night stands his entire life, Daryl never really saw many women.

Climbing into bed with Carol and just holding her was going to be a task in itself, his body was bound to betray him and give too much away. But he promised himself he was going to treat her right, make her happy, so Daryl would have to give in to Carol's request.

Without a word Daryl moved from his spot on the bed, shuffling to get comfortable as he lay down, leaving Carol plenty of space to slip in beside him. Carol smiled softly and followed Daryl by example, climbing under the sheets a little awkwardly and nestling with her back to the man, she wanted to turn and face him but Carol knew Daryl would find that way too intense. So she gently just shuffled back as far as she dare to feel his warmth.

There was a small feeling of triumph when a hesitant arm wrapped around Carol's waist, dragging her closer to Daryl's warm bare chest. He glanced out the window in her cell and saw how it was still relatively light out, they could have been out in the cell block making themselves useful but instead they were taking the time to relax and catch up on sleep.

"Goodnight Daryl." The woman whispered biting her bottom lip as his breath ghosted her ear.

"Mmm, 'night."


	8. Chapter 8

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_witnesstoitall: Never fear, there will be more Caryl moments. We couldn't live without those precious moments._

Latest episode of TWD 'The Sorrowful Life' was pretty awesome despite its ending. It was pretty obvious from about half way through the episode, but it still got to me a little. That man was a rogue and an ass, but he was still pretty cool. Oh my, Daryl's reaction was heartbreaking.

* * *

All that registered in Daryl's mind was a burning pain that shot up his side as he took a breath, making him hiss loudly and snake an arm to wrap around his ribs. For a few minutes Daryl could do nothing but force himself to take shallow, gentle breaths, trying to avoid the pain that followed. He was used to dealing with pain, usually he could distract himself but in this case it was impossible, he couldn't distract himself whilst lying on the floor.

Daryl only cracked an eye open when he felt something touch his face, someone was stroking his cheek. It took at least a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, everything was blurry and out of focus.

"Daryl?" Somebody called out making Daryl blink furiously, he was trying to force his brain and his eyes to clear up the image ahead of him. "Daryl, are you alright?"

Whoever asked that question opened the gates to more agony. A sudden pain enveloped his mind making him groan and hold his head, the pain was an intense throbbing like he'd never felt before. "...Fuck." Daryl had been kicked in the head and battered so many times, but this was a new kind of pain. Or maybe he'd forgotten how bad the pain could get.

Carol found herself giggling in some sort of relief, Daryl's word choice was an entirely accurate way of describing what just happened. By cursing like that she knew he was okay. Mostly okay.

They had been lying in bed together asleep when Daryl jolted awake, the movement woke Carol who turned to the man, asking if he was okay. Maybe he had a nightmare. But by the look on Daryl's face, Carol knew it was something else. Something much more serious and perhaps a little deadly. He had his hunting mask on, eyes trained on nothing as he listened for sounds, clues on whatever was going on in the prison.

Carol tried to do the same but she could hear nothing past the heavy snoring of Hershel in the next cell over, but Daryl had years of experience, so he'd be able to hear a pin drop. He had the ability to ignore and block out sounds he didn't want to hear.

Suddenly and with no warning, Daryl jumped out of the bed and stopped in the doorway, that was when Carol heard it. Clear as day, one of the most terrifying, fear inspiring sounds ever.

The deep guttural moan of a walker. Right there in the cell block, their cell block. A sound that forced Daryl's heart in his mouth and made his chest incredibly tight with fear, Carol in return was pretty sure her heart had stopped beating.

The formerly human male completely ignored the bottom row of cells and was following the sound of Hershel, only between Hershel and the walker were Daryl's sleeping children.

There was just a fleeting moment of terror as Daryl watched the walker ascend the stairs, giving the redneck very little time to formulate a plan. The twins were in danger that was all he could think about, he had to protect the twins.

Nothing ever made Daryl feel so terrified, nothing. Even when Daryl picked the children up from their mother's one night and saw the children lying next to a pile of drugs, that was pure fury he felt, but finding a walker in the cell block was fear inspiring.

His crossbow was beside the children as they slept, which Daryl immediately realised was irresponsible, Daryl never left his crossbow behind when he went anywhere. One because if anything like this was ever to happen, his weapon would be out of reach and two, if the children woke up they would automatically want to play with the toy they always saw daddy playing with. That was why his crossbow was hidden away in his room back home, if the children actually found it, neither of them would be able to reach the weapon.

Racing to the children was out of the question, the walker was already way too close for him to get there in time. Daryl couldn't shout to Imogen and Archer telling them to run to him without endangering them, so that left Daryl one choice.

He ripped his knife from under Carol's pillow where he stuffed it before falling asleep and ran, he ran straight for the walker who had reached the top of the stairs, running like he'd never ran before. The adrenaline pumping through his system seemed to hinder Daryl's ability to think ahead, in a normal situation he would have known the consequences of his actions.

That was how he ended up at the bottom of the stairs beside the rotting corpse of a walker with a splitting headache and a tight pain in his chest. His ribs didn't feel broken, probably just bruised.

Carol had seen it happen before Daryl even left her cell, the moment the knife was in his hand, she knew Daryl was going to lunge and end up in a bad way. She was frightened for Daryl's life, for the children's lives, it was a fear she only ever felt once before. Sophia.

She heard the walker groan as Daryl caught its attention, as it diverted towards the redneck who growled in return. Carol reached the cell door just as Daryl jumped at the dead man, pulling it away from his oblivious children who were still sleeping and down the stairs.

The sounds of falling and crying out alerted the others and within seconds of Daryl being on the floor, the rest of the group rushed out to see what was going on. Even Judith began to wail because of the loud, obnoxious sounds flooding the cell block.

By that time Daryl had lost consciousness after smacking his head on the metal staircase several times, but the blackout lasted just a few seconds before he started to come around again. It was the shortest blackout he ever had, usually the head injuries inflicted by other people made him lose consciousness for much longer than this.

"Daryl, answer me." Carol said gently shaking his shoulder, that movement made his head pound so he reached out and grabbed Carol's wrist, forcing her to stop. It was making him feel horrendously unwell, like his stomach was about to empty.

As the image of Carol slowly blurred back into focus Daryl glanced down at the walker's body, his fingers edging towards the blade sticking out of the walker's brain. He wrenched the knife out its skull and shoved it back in his belt, taking a moment to prepare himself for action.

Then all too quickly Daryl sat up, his head swirled making nausea wave over his body as he swayed. He knew it was a bad idea to get up so quickly, but it didn't stop him trying to stand.

If Carol and Glenn hadn't been nearby, he would have collapsed in a heap. Daryl felt his stomach convulse and had to fight the urge to throw up, Carol must have noticed the way his skin instantly paled because she told him to take a few deep breaths, the pain in his chest made that a little difficult but he hated the nauseous feeling so he ignored his pain. Ignoring his pain had become almost habit over the years, emotional, physical and mental pain.

"Shit, my head hurts..." He gasped reaching up to hold the back of his head, when the man pulled his hand back there was a small splatter of blood over his fingers. "The twins okay?" He whispered wiping the blood on away on his chest, as soon as he touched the skin Daryl remembered he was completely shirtless. It was then he remembered having no shirt on, leaving his entire body exposed to the group. Suddenly his insecurity flared making he pull his arm away from Glenn and turn around, yanking his other arm from Carol's grip as he staggered back to the stairs.

He stumbled forward barely catching himself on the railing to gain his balance. "Daryl where are you going?" Carol called rushing back to stabilise the man, the way he was fumbling about was causing her some concern. "You've got a head injury and concussion."

Without meaning to Daryl snarled at Carol when she approached, forcing her to step back but still hover in case he fell. The more Daryl forced himself to climb the stairs, the more he realised everyone was watching him and talking about his mutilation, all Daryl wanted to do was find his shirt and hide his nasty body.

This exposure showed everyone the things Daryl went through, as a child and as a victim of inhumane torture. His new scars were an angry red colour making them stand out against his tanned skin, everybody found themselves staring, even Hershel who had treated him was staring.

Daryl groaned when he reached the top of the stairs, clutching his head as he swayed on his feet. Carol was desperate to run up and stop him, but she knew Daryl would get mad, he was irritable and it would just make the situation worse. The last thing Carol wanted was Daryl lashing out and hurting himself.

This time it was Rick who rushed to Daryl's side, wrapping his arms around the man's frame as he fell to his knees. Rick grabbed a shirt from the bag beside Daryl's bed and stuffed it in his hands, his scars didn't matter to anybody, all that really mattered was making sure Daryl was safe and well. His head injury was pretty serious.

Daryl manipulated himself in Rick's arms, forcing his shirt on to cover as much skin as possible, they had seen enough. "Daddy?" A voice called from beside them making Daryl turn, he turned to the little boy who was sat up in confusion staring at his father and the group leader, it was a pretty odd sight to see. The commotion had woke the little boy, but the tiny girl was still resting.

"Yeah, buddy?" Daryl whispered trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of his skull as it spread, enveloping his mind in a uncomfortable but familiar veil. Daryl hadn't realised he was clutching the back of Rick's shirt to hold himself up until Rick moved a little to support their weight, Daryl was leaning heavily on him and he was becoming heavier every second.

Daryl was beginning to struggle, he saw Archer's mouth moving with a reply but Daryl could not hear anything, everything was silent besides the sound of his pounding inside his skull. The redneck found his entire body being swiveled so he was facing Rick, the man was talking but there were no sounds.

Suddenly it was incredibly dark.

Daryl's eyes slowly fluttered open. He was confused, what just happened?

He couldn't really remember exactly what happened the night before. One minute he was lying in bed with Carol, his arm wrapped tightly around her as they drifted off in peace and then he woke at the bottom of the stairs, with a furious headache. He just wanted to stay in bed with Carol, originally Daryl had been scared by the idea of holding the woman but within a few minutes, the fear disappeared and he was pretty happy.

Daryl remembered trying to get to his feet but he didn't know why he was at the bottom of the stairs, he didn't remember getting back to the cell he just woke in, just sleeping and then waking again with nothing in between. Everything between now and sleeping beside Carol was empty, there were no memories, not even a glimmer.

All that really registered in Daryl's mind was the splitting headache as he stared at the wall, he grumbled and huffed as he turned over and almost jumped when he met Carol's eyes. The woman was sat beside the bed in a chair, Carol was in the middle of repairing one of his shirts when Daryl woke up, there wasn't much she could do for the tatty old shirt but she still wanted to try.

Daryl let his eyes close for a moment and let out a deep breath, his mind was a swirling mix of confusion and pain. "The hell happened?" He asked rubbing the back of his head, a sharp pain shot through his skull at the feeling of an open wound, it must have been quite a tumble.

"You don't remember?" Carol asked with a frown, she looked slightly concerned when be shook his head. That could not have been a good sign at all, but neither of the pair showed it, hopefully it was just a little after injury amnesia. "There was a walker in the cell block, you jumped on it but fell down the stairs."

Daryl slowly pushed himself up from his flat-out position on to his elbow, he knew it was not Carol's fault but he could not stop himself from glaring at her. Who the hell had left the cell block door open? Who let the walker in?

It was a stupid mistake that could have cost a number of people's lives, Daryl considered themselves lucky it was only one walker and not an entire herd, the group would have been screwed if that happened. His children would've been screwed.

Carol watched in silence as Daryl sat himself up, taking a moment to let his mind and stomach settle down again. Everything pounded at his skull, it was obvious he had a pretty hefty case of concussion, even though he only fell down the stairs.

"Got some painkillers here, if you want them."

Daryl shook his head but instantly regretted the action when his head squeezed as a result. "Save 'em fer an emergency. I can live with a headache." Carol didn't even try to argue with the stubborn man, even if she managed to convince Daryl he needed them, he would still refuse.

It wasn't really because he wanted to save the painkillers for an emergency, it was because Daryl always believed he was a second-rate citizen, he felt he wasn't worth their resources. Carol knew exactly why Daryl had such a terribly low opinion of himself, his family. They were Daryl's downfall, after years of horrific verbal and physical abuse, Daryl had resigned himself to useless and unworthy. There was nothing Carol could do to change that opinion either, it was a little heartbreaking.

Daryl had never directly told anybody he was abuse as a child and probably most of his adult life, but as a victim of domestic violence, Carol could see the effects. Somebody had once told her damaged people gravitate towards each other and that was what had happened, the two most damaged people in the group sought out each other and act as supports for each other.

The redneck did not want the drugs to lift the effects of his concussion because he thought the other members of the group were more worthy, the others deserved everything before him, he even thought the others would be mad at him for taking the drugs, when in reality Rick was the first to suggest he take them. The last thing the group needed was their hunter out of action, their hunter and best fighter.

Maybe the offering could be considered a little selfish on Rick's part because he wanted Daryl back as soon as possible, carrying the weight of the group was straining and Daryl was the only one Rick trusted enough to help him. He trusted Glenn too but at the moment the korean was far too hot-headed.

Carol carefully placed the brown shirt on her lap down, trying not to think about the reason Daryl had a gaping hole in the shirt. She didn't want to think about that again.

Reaching to the floor Carol grabbed her canteen of water, carefully handing it to the man sitting in bed. "Need to take a shower." He mumbled resting the canteen on his lap.

Carol shook her head at the mere mention of him getting out of bed. "Not in this state you don't, you weren't exactly stable on your feet before you passed out." The last thing the group needed was finding Daryl face down in the bathroom.

The man looked far from healthy, his eyes were glassy and almost completely glazed over as he glanced around the room. Daryl's head hung low as he handled the water bottle, the splitting headache was making him wince every few seconds and the nausea had made Daryl's skin deathly pale.

Daryl grunted in disgust at the thought of passing out but said nothing. If he insisted on taking a shower then somebody would also insist on escorting him to the shower block, they would want to be in the room to make sure he didn't faint or pass out.

They would see his legs. Daryl couldn't handle that idea, those scars were too unbearably painful. Those were his scars and he was going to keep them to himself.

"Where are my kids?" He asked after a little silence, Daryl couldn't hear the children laughing or giggling at all. That initially made him nervous, the man couldn't stand the thought of his children being left unattended or left near the Governor. He didn't even know if they were okay after the ordeal with the walker, did they even know what happened or how close the walker got?

Carol smiled at Daryl, trying not to show how much she liked the bond he had with his children. Even with a painful case of concussion Daryl's entire being focused on the children, at least until he knew they were safe. "They're with Beth the last time I saw them, she was reading them a book."

Daryl couldn't stop the little smile. "They love stories." His children had loved stories for as long as he could remember, especially the ones involving Georgia's history, just like Daryl. He loved listening to the old stories his Mama would tell him, when she died he tried to find more by himself, but there was limited time to read back in those days.

Daryl couldn't read a book without looking over his shoulder every twenty seconds, he couldn't take the books outside because if anyone ever found him reading they would probably tell his father. He would yell and scream about not being good enough to read, that he wouldn't have a pointless thing like a book in his house, Daryl was never going to become anything so he didn't need to read.

Reading was still a little tricky for the redneck but he got by pretty well, when he couldn't sleep and didn't have to be on watch, he'd grab the book Andrea gave him on the farm and read a few pages. It wasn't particularly exciting but it was better than nothing, even made him nod off a few times.

"I suppose they get that love from you, hmm?" Carol said taking the empty canteen back. She couldn't help but notice the way their fingers barely grazed each other, but even the slight contact made Daryl's face soften, the harsh cold exterior melted away for just a few seconds before slamming back in place.

"Guess so." He mumbled slightly glancing up at her, Daryl didn't mean to keep being vague and harsh but his head was murder, every time he tried to think his mind would ache. Carol seemed to notice the odd way Daryl was behaving and then saw him take just a quick glance towards the glass of water and painkillers in her hand. He was trying to stay tough and ride the concussion out, but combining the intense headache and constant waves of nausea, it was becoming a little overwhelming.

Carol without a word help the painkillers and water out for Daryl and just waited, she wasn't surprised when Daryl slowly reached out to take the medication, their hands brushing as he rolled the pills into his own hand.

The man let his glassy cerulean eyes meet hers for just a second, the brief touch of their skin reminded Daryl exactly how much he cared for this woman. Carol had done so much for him recently and he didn't know how to repay her, how do you repay someone for giving you the space you need to grieve? How could he repay someone for taking care of his children when he wasn't in a physical or mental state to do so?

It didn't matter how hard he tried to ignore the sensation, Daryl knew it wouldn't be long before he gave in completely. He needed Carol, in more ways than one. "Why ya doin' all this fer me?"

Carol frowned as she replied. "Taking care of you?" She asked and continued when Daryl gave a minute nod. "Because I care about you, you know that. Besides the children need their father fit and healthy." The children. His babies.

Archer and Imogen were the reason he ended up this way, it wasn't really their fault. It was the walker's fault he ended up with concussion, it was whoever left the cell block door open. Daryl had to protect his children, that was how he ended up with a hole in his head and a nasty concussion.

Daryl sighed and rubbed his forehead. "They need their Mama." He felt awful admitting that because despite everything the children's mother did, she was still their mother. The twins needed her. The trouble was nobody knew what happened to her, except maybe... the Governor. If he had found the twins in Atlanta then maybe she was there too. Daryl just wanted to know to put his mind at ease, so he could tell Archer and Imogen what happened to their mother when they were old enough to understand.

"Every child wants a mother and a father, but sometimes they can't have both." Carol said, gently trying to reassure Daryl that he didn't have to downgrade himself, he was now the most important person in Imogen and Archer's lives. Daryl knew all about that. His mother died when he needed her the most and his daddy became a violent thug, Daryl wanted his mother and not his father but his wish never came true.

He looked at Carol as he processed her reasoning, the woman was always trying to big him up and make him feel better and as much as he tried to believe her, Daryl just couldn't. Not without Merle and his father hanging around in the back of his mind, without thinking Daryl's fingers reached out and rubbed at the scar on his collarbone, when ever he thought of his daddy or Merle it seemed to ache poignantly.

The woman beside him couldn't ignore the man's obvious pain and gently reached out, sliding her hand between his skin and his fingers to stop Daryl from touching the mark. His skin was unbelievably warm but the raised scar was almost cold against her palm, Carol felt Daryl tremble underneath her touch, but Daryl didn't take his hand away from hers.

Letting his fingers faintly lay over hers, Daryl's silvery-blue eyes showed Carol his turmoil. "Maybe you should get some sleep..." Carol said gently brushing her thumb across his collarbone, part of her wanted Daryl to refuse so they could stay like this but he looked exhausted.

They weren't doing much, just sitting with each other and wasting time they didn't really have. But they didn't ever get to spend time alone like that, so they tried to enjoy it. Daryl groaned at the thought of sleeping in the cell again, he hated the tight spaces and pressing walls, the redneck hated the confinement.

Carol could see how exhausted Daryl was, the nasty concussion and sickly feeling was weighing the man down, grinding at his mind and body. He gently linked their fingers together as she stroked at his skin, Daryl moved their hands away from his body, letting them rest against the shabby prison mattress. "I killed Merle." Daryl said very suddenly, quietly like he almost couldn't believe it. "I killed him."

Without warning the unbearable grief of Merle's death smashed into the youngest Dixon making his heart squeeze painfully, the pain in his head intensified until it was almost crippling as the rest of Daryl's body fell numb to the torture. Carol saw the immediate change in Daryl's body language, the way his head fell forward as he let out a strangled whimper, the way his entire body trembled as the whimpers rapidly became sobs of sheer agony.

Carol didn't hesitate to get up from her chair and sit on the bed with the man, releasing his hand so she could cup both cheeks in her palms and lift his head to look her way. She should have been more prepared for the excruciating pang that ripped through her body when she moved Daryl, within seconds of finally acknowledging his brother was no longer around, Daryl became inconsolable.

There were no words anybody could use to bring peace or comfort to the younger man. The man he looked for every single day after he disappeared from the roof, the man who tried to protect Daryl from being walked all over, the man with undeniable loyalty but a warped sense of love was gone. Dead. Never to return and Carol knew there were so many things Daryl wanted to tell Merle, like how angry he was for the years of abuse he suffered or how he made Daryl leave the twins.

But Daryl also wanted to thank Merle for trying to make him tough so he could survive and for helping him realise he didn't want to be alone anymore. Daryl needed people so he could thrive, he needed Merle to know he was not the same man he used to be. That was impossible now, Daryl had ended his older brother's life for the sake of his children.

Daryl's eyes clench shut as he tried to stop the endless flow of hot tears with no success, Dixon's didn't cry. Not now. Not ever. Daddy had beat that into them both, he couldn't stop himself though. Daryl clumsily reached out for any part of Carol he could hold, his fingers grasping at her shoulder and her waist, holding on tightly as he tried not to drown in his own despair.

He was gasping for breath between the tremulous sobs wracking his body, Carol herself was forced to take deep breaths so she didn't break down beside him, seeing Daryl this way was soul-destroying. Every part of Carol's being told her to make the pain go away but it was not possible, not today at least. The only way she could fix this intolerable strain was to give him time. Time to grieve the loss of his beloved brother, time to accept what he'd done in order to protect his children and time to accept that he was the oldest remaining Dixon.

Daryl didn't know when Rick had arrived or what he was even doing in the room, the group must have heard his cries reverberating through the cell block and the entire prison. He heard something about the noise attracting walkers and figured that was probably his fault but all other thought was obliterated by pain, Daryl couldn't make his mourning process stop.

"Take some of these Daryl," Carol paused just long enough to give the man more pills. "They'll help you sleep."

Part of Carol felt awful when his still streaming eyes widened in fear, the guilt and horror plainly obvious. "I don't wanna sleep, dream of Merle. I don't want'a fuckin' sleep."

The woman carefully slipped one hand around to the back of Daryl's head, weaving through his hair but making sure to avoid his injury as she tried to provide a little comfort. "Don't worry about that, you won't dream with these, you'll be out until morning." She said gently as he sniffled and scrubbed his face until the skin was raw from friction, the tears kept coming but at a slower, steadier pace. "Lie down and rest. I'll take care of the children." Her words were kind and tender as she waited for Daryl to slowly shuffle down, resting his head on the pillow as he lay beside Carol.

His body was still shaking and trembling as he lay down, Carol leaned down and softly kissed Daryl's cheek, letting one hand clasp his as her free hand rubbed at his shoulder. She was pretty sure the scars she was massaging were a product of Merle's disorderly behaviour but Carol never bothered to ask, she just held on to Daryl as they began the long, winding path that was grief.


	9. Chapter 9

**When Daryl left that morning everyone expected him to come back with supper and baby formula, but that wasn't all he found. This discovery is going to test his mind, his strength and his beliefs. With all his attention focused elsewhere, what will happen to his budding relationship with Carol and his rapidly developing friendships with the rest of the group? Caryl.**

_Sorry this chapter took so long, I hit quite a block and wasn't sure how to finish the end so if it seems a little wishy-washy... sorry._

* * *

They had asked about Daryl. The group and the children had all asked after Daryl when Carol finally left his cell, it was pretty obvious to everyone she'd been crying to but after the way the redneck broke down, nobody could blame her. Her heart had been wrenched horrifically.

Daryl's grief could be heard from prison's exit, it unnerved many of the group and when Rick walked in the cell block, he made Beth and Carl take the twins elsewhere so they didn't have to listen to their father's hysterics. The little ones didn't really understand what was going on in the block, but the sudden loud noise had set the pair on edge, making them cling to Beth's legs.

After at least half an hour of some clearly potent agony Hershel hobbled from his cell with a small medicine bottle in his hand.

Rick examined the bottle label for a moment and frowned in confusion, he wasn't entirely sure why Hershel handed them over. "It's a sedative." The older man said calmly. He gave them to Rick because he could get to Daryl faster than the man with one leg, the quicker these high dose sedatives were administered, the sooner Daryl would be able to find peace.

His hysterical but warranted tears were almost completely unbearable for everyone, nobody wanted to hear such a strong, independent man become so absorbed by grief.

So Rick took them up to Daryl's cell, what Rick saw was never going to leave him. The image of Daryl clutching at Carol as his emotions poured out would be forever burned in his mind, he had never witnessed such a painful scene not even during his work in the force.

He had no idea why Daryl was so devastated but he figured it had something to do with his traumatic ordeal at Woodbury.

Rick had seen some pretty horrific things in his life time but he never saw anyone quite so deeply disturbed. He had seen drunken car wrecks that ended lives, he'd seen cases or child abuse that compared to Daryl's looked minor but there had been nothing like this.

Daryl's scars and his pain was without a doubt one of the most horrific things Rick ever set eyes on, the way they twisted around his body and littered his skin made Rick shudder. The newer scars on his sides looked terribly painful and it made the group leader feel sick to his stomach, the man who'd caused that mutilation was just a few cells away.

There was at least another half an hour of heart-break before the sedatives began to take effect, then the sobbing simmered to sniffling and hiccuping before Daryl eventually gave in and let his exhaustion take over.

When Carol stepped out of the cell and in to the block, everyone was looking at her. Looking to her for answers. To help heal everyone's shared pain.

As Carol slowly moved toward the stairs and sat down, she was bombarded with endless questions and worries. The group all wanted to know why Daryl was so traumatized all of a sudden, was it Woodbury? Was it because of the Governor? Something else?

It was Rick who finally stopped all the question with his hand held out, allowing Carol a moment of peace to recollect her emotions. Everything was incredibly overwhelming. The woman took a deep breath as she lifted her head and met the leaders eyes, he was imploring her to give them details but Rick was not pushing Carol verbally.

"They... experimented on Daryl at Woodbury, those scars on his sides... they're from the Governor. He has more over his legs, but won't let anyone look." Carol said in a weak little voice, if Daryl knew she was revealing his secrets, the man would flip out. "When he escaped with Merle, Merle went back to Woodbury and took the twins from the Governor but wouldn't let Daryl bring them here so he..." Pause. Take another deep breath and brace. "Daryl had to kill Merle."

The reaction from the group varied from understanding to shock and sympathy towards Daryl. Maggie looked heartbroken as she carefully sat on the step beside the older woman, her hand reaching out to cup Carol's and show unwavering support, but it wasn't Carol that needed everyone's support. It was Daryl.

Maggie squeezed Carol's hand as she sighed and rubbed her head. Most of the group despised Merle for his outrageous drug-fuelled actions but they knew how dedicated he was to his little brother, the group knew Daryl loved Merle indefinitely. He spent months after Merle disappeared looking around every corner, checking every building they stopped in, just to see if his big brother was there.

Knowing Daryl was in indescribable amounts of emotional pain did not sit well with anyone in the group, along with being an impeccable hunter and fighter, Daryl had also become a great friend and part of their tight-knit family. Nobody wanted the strongest member of their group to suffer, especially not after everything he'd done for them.

Daryl had searched day and night for her Sophia, he spent days at a time tracking and hunting food for the group, on the farm Daryl would work tirelessly when not looking for Sophia. The man worked to keep the prison free of walkers and worked consistently to keep Carol and now his children safe. "The Governor has got to go, it doesn't matter what we do with him, he's just got to go..." Maggie said looking between Rick, Hershel and Carol. They never should have let him in the cell block, the man was a dangerous murderer, they should have let him die. It would have been safer that way.

Rick very gently nodded as he rubbed his forehead trying to shift the rapidly developing headache. Between Judith's crying, Daryl's sudden hysteria and the weight of the group holding him down, Rick's mind was really beginning to suffer.

Carol lifted her head automatically at the sound of tiny feet in the cell block, the fake smile the woman plastered on her face would have been believable if the group hadn't seen her moments before, the children came bounding from the cell with Beth and stopped just short of the stairs. Their eyes were scanning the group for one person in particular, they both frowned in tandem when they could not find their father. "Where's Daddy?"

Archer and Imogen both turned to Carol, their eerie Daryl-ish eyes met hers, the question burning in their eyes. Where is our Daddy?

"Daddy's sleeping, so you've got to be quiet." Carol replied to both children while bringing her finger to her lips, the shushing sound that followed made both Archer and Imogen giggle and try to copy Carol with very little success.

Before she knew it Carol had started a trend, the children repeatedly hushed and shushed each other, giggling before either one could finish. The small carefree moment seemed to lift the now low morale of the group, even if it was for just a few minutes.

For the first time since the children had arrived Carol really studied them, taking in their behaviours and comparing them to their fathers. There were things Carol had seen Daryl do that the children had clearly done since birth, like his slightly unusual body movements.

Using the back of their hands to brush their hair away or biting their bottom lip when concentrating or nervous. The one thing Carol could definitely say came from Daryl was the way the children never sat still, like Daryl who would rock from foot-to-foot or drum his fingers, the children copied him.

Daryl's constant movement was from instinct, to stop him from becoming vulnerable to an attack but the twins, their constant movement was engrained in their personality. It wasn't because they were hyperactive children, it was because they were Daryl's children.

They also had his fearlessness when it came to confrontation.

The twins did not cower away when confronted, they cried when scared like normal children would but never cowered. Both children stood their ground like Daryl would.

"Archer hungry. Imogen hungry." The little boy suddenly announced grabbing at Maggie's hand as Imogen clutched Carol's tightly, Maggie was surprised Archer grabbed her, the only time he ever showed any interest in Maggie was his first few hours in the prison. But that was only because Daryl was in another cell.

Carol smiled gently and squeezed Maggie's other hand looked between the two children. "Would you like some soup?" The woman asked as she pushed herself to her feet.

After sitting down for just a few minutes, Carol was suddenly exhausted and wondered how she was going to get through the rest of the day with the Dixon twins. Beth had already spent hours with them but there were still plenty more hours left in the day, they still had bundles of energy to spare.

The twins bounced with excitement at the prospect of the watery, flavourless soup as if it was the best thing they'd ever tasted making Carol smile a little.

She almost wished Daryl had been there to see how well his children were doing, but he couldn't, Daryl was too busy dealing with his own issues.

Carol almost couldn't believe the way Daryl broke down, it was like the reality of Merle's death suddenly pummeled into him. It was almost as if Daryl had finally acknowledged Merle was not coming back this time, this time his big brother was gone for good. Never to return.

Daryl had been clutching at her so hard Carol was pretty sure she had bruises forming, his grip on her skin had been unbelievably strong unlike the grip he had on his own emotions.

Daryl could usually hold his emotions tight and only express himself when he chose too, but his grief had finally got the better of didn't ever want to see something like that again, she had experienced the pain of losing her baby, so she knew how it felt. Maybe that made Daryl's pain more horrific for her, because she knew exactly what undeniable grief felt like.

Gently Carol grasped the children's hands and without another word to the group, she strolled towards their makeshift kitchen in search of some broth-stew-soup like substance for the children.

The whole time she was warming the food, Carol kept a very cautious eye on both children, they were a naturally very curious pair. They liked to climb on the tables or sit in all the boxes lying around, it was nice to see them having so much fun but it wouldn't be long before their curiosity led them astray.

Carol turned to the children with an overly enthusiastic smile and held the now lukewarm liquid up, Imogen immediately clapped with excitement prompting Archer to copy her as they scrambled towards the table.

"Careful..." Carol said gently as she placed Imogen next to Archer on the bench. "...It's a little bit hot." The children both stared up at Carol for a second before turning back to their soup, Archer began blowing against his food frantically trying to cool it down.

Imogen giggled at her twin brother and began copying him, Carol couldn't help but laugh at the way Imogen held her little spoon. She was definitely Daddy's little's girl sharing his odd body movements which made Carol slightly curious but she never asked, why did he move that way? Did he hold himself at odd angles and move slightly strange as an adverse reaction to the abuse he suffered as a child?

The chance of Merle being abused as a child was pretty high too, but he didn't act like his little brother. Merle never did the things Daryl did, he never shifted foot-to-foot to protect himself, but that was probably because the drugs and drink had dulled down his natural survival instincts.

In the walker world when she wasn't avoiding the dead, there was a lot of time spare to observe people, more specifically Daryl. One day she would find the courage to ask a few questions about the past, but not now. Not while Daryl was so incredibly fragile.

Carol was disturbed from her Dixon related thoughts when the cell block door slid open, for a moment nobody stepped out but then Carol heard the familiar sounds of crutches against the floor.

A handful of seconds later Hershel appeared at Carol's side as she stood behind the children, watching them as they played and ate on the prison bench. By the look in the old man's eye, Carol knew he has some burning questions about both Daryl and the children.

Carol didn't know how much more of this questioning she could take, everybody wanted to know things about Daryl she just couldn't share, not without hurting him and herself in the process. She wanted everyone to know how deeply disturbed by everything Daryl was but he didn't, Daryl did not want everybody in the group to know about his bitter past.

"I'd like to check the children over when they are finished, especially the little girl after everything they've been through." Hershel said looking towards Carol for her approval, he would have asked Daryl himself had the man been in a better emotional state.

Carol slowly nodded only meeting Hershel's eye when he thanked her. "Do you think its weird they don't talk much?" She asked in reply.

That was something else she observed since Archer and Imogen's arrival. Sure the children spoke to each other when they were playing and they spoke when they were with Daryl, but they never really said much past that. All in all they were seemingly very quiet children.

Hershel shrugged a little and cast his eye down to the twins, switching between eating and excessively blowing the soup. "I don't think it's that odd at all. They're Dixon's, Dixon's don't like to talk much. They seem to be developing fine despite the world ending, I can see why you are concerned, but don't be."

Carol gave a gentle smile towards the man before busying herself with cleaning the makeshift stove. That way she didn't have to look Hershel in the eyes when he asked about the twin's father, when Hershel didn't actually say anything, Carol felt her nerves becoming more frazzled and couldn't help speaking up. "...Please, don't make me sedate him again." She said quietly, her hand stilling as she cleaned up. "The look on his face was unbearable."

"It was just to calm him down, I don't think he'll need anymore after this." Hershel said honestly sitting down beside Imogen on the bench, the little girl silently glanced at the man before turning back to her twin as they finished their dinner and held the bowl out to Carol, letting her know they were done. Carol beamed down at the children and replaced the children's bowl's with beakers of orange juice, watching them grab the beakers excitedly. "He's tough enough to deal with this."

That was where Carol let out a sigh, she wasn't so sure. He would get through Merle's death, but there was no way he was going to be the same Daryl as before, he had already changed so much since the day he walked in camp with Merle and all these changes must have overwhelmed him, not just Daryl but his babies too.

Their father was normal one minute and the next he was angry or hysterical, those emotional changes must have been heartbreaking for the twins too.

They were never sure when they could approach Daryl or not, his emotions scared had to find a way to change that, find away that helped Daryl express his emotions in a way that wasn't so angry and aggressive.

Imogen swiveled around on the bench and shimmied off, holding her now empty beaker out to Carol. The little girl looked exhausted and weary despite her laughter and happiness not so long ago, that must have been why the little girl held her arms out, desperate for Carol to hold her. Her endless amount of energy had almost depleted again.

Without hesitating Carol picked the little girl up and pulled her close, letting Imogen snuggle in her neck for comfort. "You should take a look at her before she falls asleep." The woman said looking down at Hershel, despite having complete trust in the group's doctor, some part of Carol didn't want to let the tiny girl go. She was worried how Daryl would react when he found out his little girl had been near another male. After finding Axel in Imogen's cell, Daryl had become exceptionally protective over the children, but especially Imogen in particular.

Daryl was still concerned his babies was under threat, he hadn't let Axel anywhere near the cell block since it happened and if he swore if he ever wandered across the convict, he would end his life.

Carol didn't want Daryl to think she had pawned his daughter off on someone else, even worse, Carol didn't want Daryl to believe she was putting the twins in danger. With Daryl's current mindset, any thought was bound to be slightly confused and mixed up."I'll be quick." Hershel said gently trying to give a reinforcing, positive smile to reassure her but a small part of Carol still felt apprehensive.

Imogen didn't make a sound when Carol handed her over to Hershel, she just switched so she could snuggle into the old man instead. Carol watched in slight nervousness as Hershel looked in little ones eyes and checked her pulse, their was not a lot they could do without a full doctors equipment but Hershel did his best.

Through the whole examination Archer watched in interest, jumping down from the bench and table to stand beside Hershel and his sister. Imogen protested a little when Hershel started to remove her socks and shoes, she pouted and frowned when he explained what was going on but Imogen quickly adapted and let Hershel get down to business.

Archer proved to be far less cooperative than his sister, through the entire examination, the little boy squirmed and wriggled in both excitement and evasion. "Cold hands. Cold hands!" He kept yelling as he tried to push Hershel away. Carol couldn't help but think Daryl could hear them and would storm down any minute to take the twins away, despite knowing Daryl was nowhere near consciousness.

"Come on Archer, I think Imogen is ready for a nap." The woman didn't mean to seem like she was taking the children away from Hershel, Carol trusted him but just the thought of Daryl finding out made her heart rate quicken. She was scared Daryl would lose his temper, there was already a light purplish bruise on her arm from the last time his aggression took control.

That time was especially painful for Carol to remember, not because of the physical pain but the emotional pain that came with Daryl's accusation. The sheer force of the pain when it barreled into her was almost unbearable, it was almost as if Daryl had ripped her heart out and crushed it in his hand. But he was so angry he just didn't know what he was saying or doing.

Nobody else in the group had ever blamed Carol for her daughter's death, except Daryl. He even went as far as to blame her twice in the peak of his anger, as soon as Daryl recognised the things he was saying were not fair, he took them all back. But by then the damage was already done.

Neither adult said anything to each other as Carol began to lead the children back into the cell block, Archer skipped beside Carol as she carried a dozing Imogen in through the door. She considered carrying Imogen back up to the perch so she could rest for a while but Archer seemed to have a different plan as he dashed up the stairs as fast as his little feet could carry him.

He looked back over his shoulder to find Carol and his sister, the little boy then grinned and headed straight towards one of the cells. Daryl's didn't have chance to catch the little boy and prevent him from potentially disturbing his father from a well deserved sleep, she almost let out a sigh of relief when Archer stopped in the doorway, staring in at Daryl like he'd never seen him asleep before.

"Daddy." Imogen whispered slightly, stirring in Carol's arms trying to reach for the sleeping man. The children wanted to be near their father for a little while but the man was too exhausted, they would surely wake him up and his emotional trauma would pile up again. "Want Daddy."

It wasn't fair to deny the children their father, they had been denied access to each other so many times before, Carol didn't have it in her to tear the family apart again.

Carol gently sidestepped around Archer and walked to the bed, Imogen's eyes opened as if she felt Daryl's presence and the little girl smiled, her blue eyes sparkling with delight as Carol placed her down.

Within seconds of Imogen touching the bed and despite his artificially unconscious state, Daryl's arm sluggishly wrapped around the tiny girl, pulling her close so his body could wrap around and protect his baby girl. It amazed Carol how even in such a deep sleep, the man was pretty aware of everything going on around him. Or maybe it was just the connection he had with the twins, their bond allowed him to know when his children were nearby.

Disturbed from her thoughts Carol watched Archer as he sprang forward on to the bed, scrambling over Daryl's legs making him grunt disapprovingly. Archer then nestled in beside Imogen and the wall of the cell, it took no more than a handful of seconds for Daryl's arm to extend and wrap around the little boy too.

Carol couldn't help examine the little family bundled on the even tinier bed, joined together and holding each other, Daryl's strong arm was holding his family together even if he couldn't hold himself together.

The man didn't look at peace as she expected but he also didn't look extremely distraught like before. Daryl appeared as he usually would... he was just man was frowning slightly as he slept, like he wasn't really battling his inner demons, he was just ignoring them. Daryl wasn't being passive but also he wasn't being aggressive either. Daryl was just being Daryl.

Even as he slept the children were Daryl's main priority, he kept them protected at all costs, after the recent walker scare it came as no surprise. Finding a walker in the cell block really frightened Daryl, he couldn't remember jumping the undead creature but his body showed all the signs.

Pulling the children close to his body, shielding them from incoming attacks and his subconscious mind even went as far as balling his hands into fists, that way he could swing at anyone near whether they were living or dead.

Carol sighed when she saw the previously very active Archer's eyes close heavily. She didn't want to leave the children with Daryl incase they woke him up, but at the same time tearing the twins away from Daryl was bound to make all three very anxious. Carol couldn't help the smile that developed when she saw Daryl's eyes flutter open for a second, he settled on her before closing his eyes again and squeezing the children a little closer.

They were the only remains of his blood relatives, they were the only Dixons to survive the outbreak so he had to hold them close, protect them from the big bad world until they were ready. The scene before her made Carol melt a little inside, Ed had never been so loving and dedicated when it came to Sophia or any other children for that matter, seeing a man so openly loving towards his children when love was such a difficult emotion for him to grasp. It did things to her that were not acceptable to think about with Archer and Imogen around.

The woman quietly moved from the family cell and directed herself to Daryl's perch, as she glanced around Carol couldn't help but notice how messy the place was. Daryl's post-apocalypse organising skills were lacking slightly.

Daryl was going to freak when she was finished or at least stumble in confusion, like he did when Carol had cleaned up the RV. Thinking back, Carol couldn't decide what was better. The way Daryl stumbled through the RV like a deer in headlights because it was clean or the way he nearly dropped what he was chewing on, just a piece of dried grass or a reed, she wasn't paying much attention at the time.

That was the day Daryl showed her real genuine kindness, as rough as his voice still sounded when he spoke there was something about his tone, something that thinking back probably made Carol's loss just a little easier. He was gentle, he even gave her a flower to give her hope they'd find Sophia. It was both a good and a bad day for Carol and Daryl. It was the start of a real friendship and a powerful bond.

Daryl had done well by Carol to ease her through her hard times and Carol would be damned if she didn't do the same for him.


End file.

Walking Dead, Hurt-Comfort, Romance